The Fox Ninja
by Hector Flores
Summary: Naruto is raised by an unlikely mother figure, and learns to stand for himself. In the academy he makes a few unexpected friends and a discovery about the last of the Uchiha. He later finds love where once was a rival, loyalty where there was hate and cunning where there was cruelty.
1. Chapter 1

This is a Naruto Fan Fiction only.

If someone told me that life was fair I probably would have beaten that idiot within an inch of his life. My name is Naruto Uzumaki and I had the luck of being born with no one that gave a damn about my life, or so I first believed.

Ever since I could remember everyone else in my orphanage got things I never got. They celebrated their birthdays with cake, songs and gifts. They celebrated mine by beating me with a mallet and leaving me to bleed to death. I can honestly say that for the first three years of my life I truly believed my name was either freak or demon brat.

I learned watching and sneaking around the matron's office that most other orphans either get adopted or they stay in the orphanage till they were eight. At the age of eight the boy or girl get a place to live and an allowance since they will start attending the academy to become ninja in service of the village.

I was I guess five years old when the matron finally got tired of failing to kill me. I was beaten and left in a garbage bin behind a restaurant some place I had no clue where. That is when I met the person that I would call my mother. She was a beautifully dressed woman with long red hair and the kindest smile I had ever seen.

"So little Naruto has finally decided to pay me a visit. I wish it was on better circumstances but I guess the old saying about beggars does apply. Come near me my boy, I will not harm you."

I walked closer to the tree she was leaning on, I did it cautiously however since I have been hurt by people that pretend to be nice to me before. "Who are you lady? And why aren't you trying to hurt me like everyone else?"

She looked at me with a sad look on her face. "I have many names but you can call me Kurama. I am what people call a biju and I was in your mother when she was pregnant with you. To others you are a monster but to me you will always be my precious little boy. You don't need to fear me, cause I love you just like any mother loves her child."

She touched my head and began to run her fingers through my hair. I had to admit it felt nice. "Naruto your parents were ninja and I know people will often try to blame you for something we couldn't control. So I will teach you to become strong while you are awake, but I will teach you skills to help you survive while you sleep."

I didn't know what she meant at first but as time went by I got stronger by doing what mama Kurama taught me. I knew how to find good things to eat, how to hunt animals and how to make clothes for myself from the furs of the animals I killed.

In two years I sure learned many things since my training was constant. In my sleep I learned about the past of the village and the rules they had to obey. I learned that the leader of the village was called the Hokage and he made a law I wish others would have obeyed.

The law states that if anyone calls me a demon or demon brat that person had revealed a class S secret, and by doing so he or she betrayed the Hokage and the village. The punishment for breaking the law was immediate execution. I couldn't count with both hands the number of times the matron broke that law.

So in my own view I was done being called a demon or demon brat. I would no longer run and hide from the mobs that wanted to harm me. I instead would wait patiently for them to find me, and if they did break this law I would not hold back. I would make them suffer as I would carry out the punishment.

It didn't take long for a mob to try to harm me. I used the training mom taught me and it must have come to the idiots as quite the surprise. I waited for them to make the first move. "Finally we will avenge the death of the fourth Hokage and the innocent people this demon has killed."

One after another kept trying to beat me up while calling me a demon or demon brat. It was not long before every member of the mob did call me that. As they became impatient since I managed to evade or out right counter all their attacks they decided to use weapons against me.

The first was a kodachi, I stopped the fool's attack and took his weapon from him. I then stopped holding back my strength and skills with the blade. I cut the idiot's head off and proceeded to now attack the mob that had been trying to kill me.

In less than an hour seven men were dead and I was covered in their blood from my head to my feet. The last of the mob was looking at me as I walked up to her. She dropped to her knees and did something I never expected. She began to beg that I show her mercy.

"Please forgive me, I am sorry that I tried to harm you, please I beg you let me live. I am the only daughter of an old couple, without me they will not survive. Please don't kill me!"

I looked at her and with sword in hand decided to explain something to her. "You broke the law of the third Hokage regarding a very high secret. You called me a demon or demon brat no less than five times as you and your fellows attacked me."

She admitted that she indeed call me such things but she had no idea that she was breaking any laws. I walked over to her and as I raised the sword I told her that ignorance of the law was no defense. I killed her and left her dead body much like the rest of the mob.

I continued to do this and every time the mob tried to kill me, I waited till the members of the mob to call me that again. Once they broke the law I would show them no mercy, and left their dead bodies were they dropped before going back to my den in the forest near the village.

It was until my eight birthday that I was visited by a rather unexpected guest. The guy had white hair that seem to stand straight up, he wore the typical armor of a jounin, but the weird thing was he had one eye covered with his headband.

I knew that eventually the people that tried to kill me would hire a ninja to do the thing none of the previous mobs could. I knew I should expect anything good from the people of the village but this was the first visitor to my den since I could remember.

I kept on hiding in the dark parts of my den waiting to hear him say those words that they all calmed me. I waited and waited but he just looked through my den almost like he was looking at my things.

"Naruto I know you are there. I came to have a little talk with you. Why don't you come out of hiding? I was sent by the Hokage to find out why you been attacking those people of the village. I won't harm you I promise, but I really would like to hear your reasons for doing that. You know you made a lot of people suffer because you did that."

I didn't come out instead I decided to answer him from the shadows. "Why should I care? They gather in mobs and tried to kill me. I killed them, but they broke the law. They called me that which was punishable by death. Why can't you and the villagers let me live in peace? It's just me and my mother but you people only want to hurt or kill me!"

"Naruto why don't you come out of hiding? I promise I will not hurt you." I kept looking at him. I told him I had no reason to trust a man who was obviously sent to kill me.

I saw him put down every weapon he had on him on the floor of my cave. "See Naruto I am not going to hurt you. Come out, we can talk with each other. Help me understand what you been through. The Hokage is not an unreasonable sort. Tell me what has happened to you and I promise the Hokage will make it all better."

I looked at him and knew he was after something, nobody except mom has ever shown any concern about my well being. "I have no reason to tell you or trust you. I didn't invade your home now did I? Now I wasted enough time and I need to hunt for my food."

I continued to sneak through the shadows of my den till I made it to the entrance. That is where the intruder was blocking my only way out. "I am not leaving till you at least talk with me or agree to come with me to meet the Lord Hokage."

I didn't feel like doing either but if I wasted more time the best prey would be gone from my usual hunting grounds. I came out of hiding with my hand close to my blade. "Then lead the way, but once your Hokage has told me what he wants. I don't want you to invade my den again."

I followed him through the rooftops as we made it to the window that lead to a rather impressive office. A very strange dressed man was seated in an arm chair behind a massive desk.

I jumped in thorough the window and glared at him. "So nice of you to visit Naruto. To what do I owe the pleasure of your little visit?" I glared at the scarecrow haired fool and then at the supposed Hokage.

"I was told you had something to discuss with me by the rude intruder of my den. So tell me what you want and let me get something to eat. I didn't come here to visit as much as I don't like people coming into my den uninvited."

The old man smiled at me and I knew he was trying his best to calm me down. "Naruto I would like to ask you why have you killed all those civilians? I know that you could have beaten them up or outright out run them. So I need to know why did you kill them?"

I looked at him still glaring at him. "I have committed no crime, it is with in the law you made that states should anyone reveal that S class secret he or she is a traitor to you and to the village. The punishment set in that law is immediate execution. They called me a demon and demon brat. They all broke the law and so they must die!"

The old man began to shake his head as he heard what I said. He looked at me and then at the intruder. "Naruto why aren't you in the orphanage like I been told you were. You should have a safe place to live there and three square meals a day at the very least. Why do you live in a cave in the forest of death?"

I looked at him and at my blade. I was expecting an ambush and I was not foolish enough to think that it wouldn't happen. "They tried to kill me for a long time, three years if my mother is correct. They couldn't do it, so they left me to die in a dumpster behind a local restaurant. I been training with mother ever since, and no one provided me with anything. I hunt for my food and made my own clothes!"

He didn't like the sound of this one bit from how he slammed his fist on his desk. "Naruto it seems I been mislead by some people. I am sorry you had such a harsh life till now. I would like to make it up to you. I will provide you with a much nicer place to live, some clothes and some better gear. Furthermore I will allow you to go to the academy. You can make friends there and you will have a chance at a better life."

I looked at him and knew that he was not doing this out of any sense of remorse. I looked at him and asked him what would he get out of this? He laughed as he picked up his pipe.

"I hope that once you become a ninja of this village people will stop breaking the law and you will stop killing them. So tell me do you accept?" I looked at the walls and knew from the scent I was clearly outnumbered.

"As if I had a choice to rejecting your offer. I know when I am surrounded and you clearly don't plan to let me leave without accepting your demand. Since I have accepted can you tell your men hiding behind those walls to leave. I still have to hunt myself a meal, not that I will find anything good this late in the day."

The old man put down his pipe and walked towards me. "I guess I will go with you to buy somethings you will need and show you your new apartment. I do hope you like ramen, I happen to know your mother loved it."

I waited to walk next to him as we left his, "I don't know what you are talking about old man. My mother Kurama never even mentioned the stuff you call ramen."


	2. Chapter 2

This is a Naruto Fan Fiction only.

I had to agree with the old man that the stuff they called ramen was tasty. The way the entire dish sort of fit together was nice. The noodles were moist but not soggy, the vegetables had a bit of firmness but also the flavor of the broth and much to my delight it wasn't as greasy or salty as I first expected.

I had one bowl and that was it. I didn't want to seem like I was mooching off the old man. The shopping could gave gone better in my opinion. If the old man had not been there I swear they would have either thrown me out or did something that would make me do something that would cause some sales positions to be in need of employees.

The next thing I didn't like was the fact that he had a big guy pull and cut my fur. I know the fur on my head is long, and it probably will never be as soft as mom's is. I still didn't like the way he was yanking it and cutting it like that. I was tempted in doing the same thing to him and leave him as bald as a coconut.

"Naruto I know you don't like to have your haircut, or at least I think you don't like it by the way you are acting. Trust me this will make you look presentable when you go for the first time to the academy. You want to make a good first impression don't you?"

I tried very hard to try and be civil with him if only to make mom proud. "Chances are no matter what I do, the teachers and the other kids are going to hate my guts. Just like everyone in this place!"

He placed his hand on my shoulder and smiled a smile I had only seen mom do. "Well you can be sure of one thing Naruto. I don't hate you at all." I tried really hard to stop myself from screaming at him calling him a liar, again just to make mom proud of me.

When we got to the apartment I could only say one thing. This place made me appreciate my den like never before. My den was comfortable, spacious and looked a whole lot better than the place he calls an apartment. The bed looked like not even a hobo would use it as a toilet, the floor had so many stains and disgusting smells that made me wish I didn't have my keen senses.

"Old man are you sure I can't go back to live in my den? Cause this place is not exactly what you call homey if you can see where I am coming from. This place makes my den look like a palace suit."

He just looked at me and smiled, "Let me ask you something and please be honest with me like you have been. You are defending your cave home against this? In that cave you are quite literally surrounded by hundreds of creatures that would love to have you as a snack. Everything that surrounds you pretty much can or wants to kill you."

I decided to what he asks and decided to ask him to look out the window. "So in the forest there are hundreds of creatures that want me dead right? Tell me is there that much difference in that regard in this place? I am still surrounded by hundreds of creatures that not only want to kill me, but want to make it as painful as possible. Where exactly is the benefit of living in the village at all?"

He laughed as I finished saying that, "You might think there isn't but trust me Naruto there is. Here you will make life long friends and have wonderful experiences, adventures, even could actually find the one person who will love you and be by your side most of your life, and no I am talking about someone besides of your fox mother figure."

I quickly went inside my mind to talk with mom. For some odd reason mom was in a rather bad mood when I got there. "Mom did I do something to upset you?" She smiled at me and had me sit close to her like we often did.

"No my boy, you done nothing but make me feel proud of you. It's that stinking human that upset me. He had the nerve to say I am just a mother figure to you. The fool doesn't realize that I am as much your mother as if I gave birth to you!"

I smiled at her and asked her since when did we care what the humans called us? She had to admit that I was right and we shouldn't let their words bother us as much. "So mom is there really any purpose in me going to their supposed academy? I know pretty much all I need to be a ninja, you taught me since I can remember."

She looked at me and smiled while placing her head on my lap. "That's my boy already looking for possible traps. I think you are right, they consider me nothing but a weapon for years, if I were to guess they are sending you to keep an eye on us rather than teach you."

"Son I told you many times that when dealing with humans never take anything at face value. Always look for hidden purposes and plots. Look under the underneath of the underneath so they never catch unprepared or unawares."

I thanked for always caring and she gave me a kiss on my cheek before I left my mind. I looked at the old man and told him I would give him the benefit of a doubt. I would give this place this so called academy a chance.

I did however need to make one thing personally clear. "Listen old man I will attend your school and even live in this place. I will however kill anyone regardless of age or gender should they call me anything in the way of demonic. Call me demon or demon boy and you better prepare that fool's funeral. I got no pity and mercy is not something I keep in stock."

He tried over and over to get me to promise to leave the fools alive, that he would talk to them and the situation with them would be taken care off. I just gave him a look of sheer killing intent that made my position clear. I was done being their punching bag, and if they break the law they would be punished. No pity or mercy would be given since I never expect it from them anyways.

The next day I dressed in my school clothes which were your standard genin armor and clothes. I didn't bother with happy go lucky colors I went with traditional all black. People might say that I was dressed like I was going to a funeral, and if they broke the law they were right about the funeral.

The academy was not what I would call very welcoming. A couple of the secretaries out front pretty much told me to get lost or go in a hole and die. Much to my dismay they didn't actually break the law which means that as much as I would love to kill them, I really couldn't.

I walked towards my assigned room, after looking at the public school roster. I don't know why they put so many kids of the so called noble clans in my class. It's like they were begging me to reduce the population of their clans. I told the old man about what would happen if they break the law.

I saw a rather friendly looking teacher, he had brown hair but what really made his face stand out was the large horizontal scar right across his face. I waited for him to introduce me, but seeing the glares from so many of my classmates it was pretty clear to me that introductions were a moot point.

"Class we have a new student joining our happy little classroom. He is Naruto and he is the last of the Uzumaki Clan. Naruto why don't you take the empty seat the one in front of Sasuke. Sasuke put your hand up so he can find you."

There was something weird about this supposed guy. The way he put up his hand was almost delicate and for a minute there I thought gay. I walked over to the seat and just my luck there was a guy wearing a hoodie and had a puppy lying down on top of this guy's head.

I looked in his direction and smiled. "Glad to meet you neighbor. Hope we get along and work well together." The guy turned around and glared at me like I was a bug he wanted to crush.

He just sneered at me, "Don't bother talking to me clan less fool. I don't want the others thinking I am as weak and worthless as you." I could have insulted right back, but that is not the way my mom raised me.

I began pretending to clean my right ear and looked at him like I didn't even care he was there. "You say something? For the record I wasn't talking to you. I was talking to the guy seated on top of you. The name's Naruto and you are?"

The puppy barked a little bit and I realize he had quite the interesting accent. "Akamaru nice name pleased to meet you." Everyone looked at me and Akamaru as we both started to bark, growl and howl at each other. This made the guy he was seated on royally pissed. Akamaru was telling some rather funny stories about the guy who was named Kiba.

"Sorry Akamaru, as funny as your stories are looks like class is about to start. How about we continue our chat during recess?" I guess the old man was right after all. My first day in class and I already made a good friend.

Other than the fact that I made a friend, the class was pretty boring. Let's face it my mom made the same stuff at least a thousand times more interesting. I had a hard time staying awake hearing about what happened in wars that took place decades or more ago.

I learned all this stuff when I was four years old for crying out loud. I sometimes failed and began to take a nap. My reward was Iruka throwing a piece of chalk right hitting me right between the eyes. He then asked me a question that he believe would be impossible for me to answer.

I of course knew the answer to that question since this was more like a review than an actual lesson for me. I answered the question and much to his obvious discomfort I got the question right. "Well at least you are paying attention, or should I say you are learning while you nap?"

I simply couldn't let such a comment go. "You are teaching stuff I learned when I was four years old. Instead on just focusing on the actions of the Hokage, why don't you tell us how these actions influenced the actions of the other villages? I mean if his actions are so powerful they must have wide spread consequences."

"Take the actions of the fourth Hokage. By using his flight of the thunder god technique. One village to this day wishes for the destruction of this village, and have a hatred that lasted years. He only used one technique to win a battle and save his fellow ninja, but the consequences are felt even today."

The others in my class were looking at me like I had gone completely nuts. Iruka on the other hand was clapping as he heard me say such things. "As a teacher it is always a joy to see a student that goes beyond what he or she is expected and really tries to understand the class subject. Well done, Naruto."


	3. Chapter 3

This is a Naruto Fan Fiction only.

I came to understand the way the classes were structured pretty quickly. Iruka was responsible for all thing that was theory or on a book. Mizuki who for some odd reason I disliked more of the two teachers was responsible for physical skills.

I hated Iruka's class because he was pretty much only teaching me what I already knew. I hated Mizuki's class because for me it was so easy that I felt it was a total waste of time. In our sparring matches I either fought against Kiba, Choji, or Lee. The other students for some odd reason avoided me like I had a contagious disease.

"Naruto it's more than likely they heard what you did to those in the last mob from their parents. They must have told them to avoid you since they either consider you unworthy or too dangerous for them to fight."

Naruto nodded his head as he heard his mother's wise words. The days came and went and so did the times he was told by Mizuki not to be a show off.

A few days before our first final exam Iruka and Mizuki decided to give us all a refresher series of classes. I did as always I pretended to take a nap, meanwhile I got real lessons from my mother. Kiba was actually taking a nap, if his snoring was any indication.

Akamaru was paying attention and so were my good friends Shino, Choji, Lee and Shikamaru. I decided that we sort of formed and unofficial school club. It was on paper a Shoji club which would help our development of a strategic mindset. In truth it was me tutoring my good friends to insure they were as trained as I was.

This at first was suggested by my mother since it was within the realm of possibility that some of them could end up in my genin team. Later it was rather fun to have our little secret study group. Choji benefited from learning my mother's physical training regime.

Lee from her physical endurance and agility training. Shikamaru got a bit of training about the human mind and how a distraction could benefit or harm. Shino got some help to communicate and get along better with his bugs, which much to my surprise had a wicked sense of humor.

I got the grade I was expecting on my final exam. I was officially the dead last in the class. No real surprise there. I did try to become friends with Sasuke but that proved to be almost impossible.

The reasons why it was so hard came in the form of two of my classmates Ino the daughter of a local flower shop family and Sakura the daughter of a very influential lady in the civilian council.

I walked over to him every day and tried my best to be friendly as mother suggested. "Hey, Sasuke would you like to join our Shogi club. I am sure everyone would benefit from having you play with us." As I finished saying that I began counting down from three in my head and sure enough there was what I expected.

" **Naruto my Sasuke would never join your worthless little gang. You should learn to mind your place you worthless clan less fool. My Sasuke is simply too good to even talk to a worthless worm like you."**

Well Sakura was as annoying as ever and hearing what came next was probably as bad.

" **He is not your boyfriend billboard brow. You should heed your own advice and stay away from my Sasuke!"**

Honestly these two screaming at each other every day makes me wonder if they need someone to take them to see a mental health professional. I only had classes with them for a year and I already consider both to be nuts.

As I walked home I noticed that someone was following me. I jumped up on the roof and caught my stalker by surprise. He didn't expect me to be able to use chakra techniques. "Not that I mind the company, but could you at least give me a name and why you been following me home every day?"

He looked at me and I could already feel his apathy towards me. "I am called Dog and I am a member of ANBU as you can obviously tell. The reason is to make sure no one breaks the law and you end up killing a few dozen idiot civilians. The Hokage has me being your shadow every minute you are awake."

Guess the old man really wanted to make sure I didn't get the chance to make the idiots in this village suffer. "Too bad, I was hoping to find a few idiots that are stupid enough to break the law. I haven't killed anyone in a whole year. I guess I better start looking for bandit camps, since my prey has been so limited."

He looked at me and he threw a ninjato at me. I of course caught it like it was nothing difficult at all. I started to feel it in my hand. The grip, the weight of the blade, the edge and the balance. I threw it back and he caught it.

"Nice blade, good grip, nice edge, sturdy metal good for chakra flow techniques. It's slightly unbalanced on the right side of the blade. Overall a good killing blade too bad I can't get one myself. The damn shops won't sell me groceries much less any piece of gear."

He looked at me and asked me a couple of questions I was not expecting. "Most kids dressed in fun happy colors, but you are dressed like you are going from one funeral after another why is that? Why don't the shops sell you anything? Don't they like having paying customers."

I glared at him and decided to answer his questions. "To the first what do I have to be happy about. This entire village wishes every day that I die. The other reason black is a good color to hide dry blood stains."

"And the last I told you this village hates me. They figure if I can't buy food I will starve. This would make killing me a lot easier on the mobs that try to kill me on my birthday. Anything else Dog? Or can I go home? I still have to hunt in the forest to get something for dinner."

Since he didn't say anything I went home and got my backpack and a few kunai. Seeing that everything was in good condition I ran jumping from rooftop to rooftop heading straight to the forest.

Once inside the forest a deep part of me felt happy. I truly felt like I was home and couldn't help but to smile as I walked around the forest. Out of nowhere a large panther jumped out of a tree and tackled me down. She began rubbing her head on mine.

"Sumi you sure grew up since last I saw you. So tell me how are your folks? I hope your bothers and sisters are alright." Dog came down next to us and looked at us as if I was crazy. Sumi told me her folks were just fine, her mom was getting over a bit of a sprained leg but other than that they were fine.

I stopped my conversation with my childhood friend and looked at Dog. "Look Dog don't you dare harm my childhood friend or her family. I guess she was hunting for dinner too." Dog didn't understand why was I so friendly with the big feline.

"Naruto you do realize that panther could easily kill you right? How can you call that panther your childhood friend?" I once again glared at him till he put his weapon away.

"I don't expect you to understand, you are human after all. I grew up in my den with mom and her den was a few hundred feet from ours. We were neighbors you could say. We grew up knowing each other, and we are good friends. Her name is Sumi by the way."

I heard Sumi tell me if I was out hunting too? She said that if I was to be careful a giant snake invaded the forest a few months ago and it has been making it hard for her and her family to hunt. I understood that as being the reason her mother sprained her leg.

"Just tell me where the big bad snake is at and I will get rid of it. That way your mom won't get hurt like she got hurt avoiding that snake." Sumi looked at me with a concerned look on her face. She told me it's beneath the old tree we used to try and out climb each other.

I took of towards that tree, of course it would like that old tree. That tree survived getting hit by lightning, a forest fire and a drought. It was one of the oldest trees in the forest and thus had the softest soil to take a nap on.

I ran through the forest and felt truly alive, I could never get this feeling in the village. It must be because this place felt more like home. Dog was keeping up with me and considering what he was I shouldn't be that surprised.

I walked up a tree and jumped from branch to branch till I could see the large snake below me. "I don't know who you are or why you are here, but since you are in a place I care about I am going to ask you who are you? And why are you here?"

The snake gave me a very smug look and tried to reach where I was. Seeing that she couldn't she looked at me with quite the glare. "The summoner of my clan ordered me to come here and keep an eye in the last of the Uchiha. Since I couldn't return home I hunted what I could to sustain myself and do as I was ordered."

I jumped down to look at her straight in her eyes. "You scared the preferred prey of my friends. I would highly suggest you leave this forest and never return or you might make me do something regrettable."

She must have thought that I was bluffing because she didn't make any indication that she was indeed leaving any time soon. Mom told me she approved as she knew what I was planning.

I dropped on all fours and began to growl something fierce, I could feel the skin on my face peel off as I took off all my clothes and armor. I felt my mouth and head begin to change shape and on my rear I could feel my tails growing. As I glared at the snake I saw myself on her eyes.

I was in my complete nine tails form and I must say it felt great to fully use my senses. **"Leave now little snake or I will kill you, skin you, roast you and eat you as a snack. Don't think I am bluffing for a nine tail fox never threatens we make promises!"**

Something about me made the snake suddenly disappear and to me she look like she was running away for her life. I slowly changed back to human form and I waited a few seconds for my body to heal before I put my clothes and armor back on.

Dog didn't seem happy by what he saw. He jumped down to where I was getting dressed with his ninjato in hand. "So the suspicions of the people turned out to be true. You really are the nine tails reborn. Why did you attack our village fox?"

I couldn't help but to laugh at him. "Dog you really need to be careful you almost broke the law and you know what I do to people that break that law. To answer your question I am a nine tails fox but sadly I was born when mother was forced to attack your village."

I saw my hand return to human form which was a form that made finishing getting dressed much easier. "Mom said that a man with only one sharingan threatened to kill me, her sister and her husband should she decide not to attack the village. It was a lie, he killed her sister and her brother in law. This was all done with a particularly nasty genjutsu it seems."

Dog put his ninjato away and sat down where I was. "Normal snakes don't talk, that means she was a summon beast. There are only two known snake summoners that we know off. Anko Mitarashi and Orochimaru the snake sennin. I didn't mean to threaten you but my family was killed during the attack I just mentioned."

I looked at him and try to act calm. "Yours and many others. They wouldn't hate me as much unless that was the case. Stupidity however is no defense against the law. You should warn the Hokage about the possible danger the last Uchiha faces. If Orochimaru is behind this it must be something that he plans to use to destroy this village."


	4. Chapter 4

This is a Naruto Fan Fiction only.

The second year of training was starting today and maybe that was the reason why I suddenly felt like I should just sleep in today. It was a good idea on my part, but mom was having none of that. No school then no training, no training means my time with my sweet and caring mom would be cut short.

That is why I dressed in less than half a minute and was running over the rooftops with a piece of jerky in my mouth as my only breakfast. Dog of course was there and since I figured he was there he took the habit of running besides me.

"Morning Dog, beautiful day isn't it?" I must caught him by surprise be nearly slipped and missed a jump between rooftops.

"Well someone is in a good mood. I wanted to tell you I told the Hokage about everything that happened in the forest and I mean everything." I kept eating my breakfast as he said that.

"So I am guessing I have a meeting with him after school let's out. While I am trying hard not to fall into a coma in class or try not to kill my sparring partner you tell the old man that I will see him as soon as I can. Be sure to tell his secretary to take a coffee or lunch break."

I sat down on my usual seat and looked around. Akamaru was half asleep, Choji was eating something besides chips, Shino was having a lively chat with three of his bugs, Sasuke looked like was eating something sour and Shikamaru was starring out the window looking at the clouds.

Iruka was not even noticed as he took he began to take class roll. The lesson again was something mom taught me already so it was back to pretending to take a nap and actually get a lesson on something new from my mother.

It was a pretty nice lesson too by the looks of it. It was a lesson on pressure points locations and effects. I was practicing them on a pretty dummy when I felt someone try to do something to me. I immediately opened my eyes and out of sheer instinct I hit pretty hard a pressure point.

I heard a loud thud and I opened my eyes to see Sakura unconscious on the floor holding something in her hand. It appears that she was going to draw or write something on my face.

After a few minutes she got up with what I could only guess was a massive headache if her face was any indication. "Sorry Sakura I guess I moved in my sleep and hit you. Too bad too since I was having such a nice nap."

Iruka decided to ask me how many was can a person be killed with just a hand. I answered his question and I guess I was right because he didn't punish me for not paying attention. Sasuke kept starring at me as I sat down after answering the question.

"So did you have a dream?" I turned around and saw Shikamaru smiling at me. I was tempted to deny that I had any dreams but then I got an idea. I would tell him of one of my old dreams that I could never forget.

"Sure did and in it I saw a beautiful lady. She had long black hair, and charcoal color eyes. Her figure was exquisitely beautiful as she had the figure most women dream off. She had soft as silk skin and equally soft voice. The strange thing is she was dressed in the clothes of a ninja and not a kunoichi. She said my love will be yours always."

"Then I heard a thud and woke up. I sure wanted to find out why she was wearing the clothes and armor of a man. Too bad I woke up, I might have gotten to hear her name." Everyone who heard me laughed as they heard me tell my friend my dream, but not him.

"You might not believe me Naruto but you just had a vision of someone very dear to you." For some odd reason Sasuke was glaring at me as I heard Shikamaru say that to me. Why in the world did Sasuke become upset after I told my friend my dream? It's not like it affects him in anyway. It was a dream after all.

Our practical classes began and this time Mizuki divided us in three member squads. I was possibly in the worst squad possible. One the right I had Sakura who was more interested in trying to seduce Sasuke than do anything at all. On my left was Sasuke who since I shared what I saw in that dream he pretty much did everything to make me fall on my face in failure.

As the weeks went on and the teamwork was basically none existent. I decided to have a talk with Sasuke, since Sakura wouldn't listen even to save her own life. I knew that Sasuke liked to take baths in the public bathhouse since he lived a short distance from it.

Late at night I went to their to have a discussion about what was his problem with me. I got in the men's area by jumping over the outside wall. I couldn't find Sasuke anywhere in the bath area. I used a transformation technique and pretended to be a woman going to the public bathhouse.

As soon as I entered I saw that there was something weird on the registry. It said that only one woman was inside and her name was Sayomi Uchiha. 'That's weird Itachi killed every member of the clan except for Sasuke. Might as well see who is pretending to be an Uchiha.'

As I walked in I heard that voice from my dream from the other side of the door leading to the open air bathing area. "Damn that dope, I nearly lost my transformed form when he said about that dream. This water feels nice, it's sure stressful to pretend to be a guy so long."

That made me realize one thing, Sasuke was supposed to be a regular chick magnet, yet he turned them all down and not only fellow students either. Maybe the Sasuke I know is a fake identity and this soft spoken girl is my classmate. But why pretend at all? Why register in the academy under a fake identity.

I walked into the bath and did something I wish I hadn't done. I guess I was distracted by trying to figure this whole thing out. I walked in and smiled at the girl in the warm water and said something I didn't realize it was a mistake till it was too late.

"Nice night for a relaxing bath, so tell me Sasuke how's the water?" She jumped out of the water and before I could do anything she grabbed me and threw me in the water. I hit one of the rocks pretty hard and must have lost consciousness. Next thing I know I am placed in a relaxing sitting position and she is running her fingers through my hair.

"You know something Dope, I never would have believed you be the one to figure out my secret. Guess I rejected too many date requests. So Naruto why did you sneak in here for? Are you a pervert or did you gave something so important to talk to me about?"

I kept looking at the sky, there was something relaxing about how she was touching my head. It almost felt like when mom used to sign me a lullaby. "Not much Sasuke, I wanted to know what your beef was against me. It pretty much makes teamwork impossible, and I don't know about you but I want to pass this grade."

She stopped touching my hair and jumped in the water to stand right in front of me. "You embarrassed me when you said that stuff about that dream and Shikamaru saying it was a vision. Any girl would be upset after hearing such a thing and being embarrassed like that. The name is not Sasuke, my name is Sayomi. So what do you want to keep my secret?"

I looked at her and couldn't help but to smile at her. "How about you work with me to improve our teamwork? Like I said I want to pass the next finals. What's with the look Sayomi?" She looked to me like a dazed deer after seeing a flash bang tag bomb go off.

"For a minute there I was thinking you would ask me to be your love slave, seeing how perverted you are." I had to dunk my head in the water to hide my blushing face. I got out of the water and looked at her before changing back into what I looked like before she threw me like she did.

"I respect women too much to ever even think of asking something like that. If I am going to make love it must be willingly." I left the public bath and began to walk towards my crappy apartment. I stopped a block away from it. I saw the now transformed Sayomi looking like Sasuke again.

"You need something teme? I don't think I invited the King of Emos to my place." I was doing my best to act like nothing had changed between us. She looked a little surprised for a second and immediately began to act like she did in the academy.

"Figured we need to talk about your crappy teamwork dope! I am an Uchiha Elite and I don't plan to get held back a year because of your crappy teamwork. I figured to save time and my good reputation we might decide on a schedule so we can work in your lousy teamwork!"

I pretended to look upset as I continued walking to my place. "Well might as well come to my place. Last thing I want is for people think I associate with you teme. We can yell at each other once we get to my place."

I opened the door for her and she pretended not to even care. I walked in and closed the door. We first needed to talked about why she pretends to be a guy? and how we would improve our teamwork enough that Sakura won't be a problem for our team?

"So just to be clear do you prefer Sasuke or Sayomi?" He changed back to her true form and was seated on what once could be called a rug. She looked at me and pretty much gestured for me to set in front of her.

"If you can keep a secret Sayomi when we are alone. Sasuke in class or in public. The reason why I pretend to be a guy shouldn't be too hard for anyone to understand. As the last Uchiha in the village the council would have me impregnated as soon as possible, and have me giving birth to as many babies as I can before dying during childbirth."

She honestly didn't look happy when she said that, "No self respecting woman wants to be treated as a baby making machine. Don't get me wrong, I do want to have some kids in the future, but I want to build a home, family and life with a strong capable ninja that can respect me as an equal and loves me."

I guess I understood where she was coming from. My mom told me how she had been used as a mere object or a weapon in her past. "Don't you worry Sayomi I totally understand what you mean. As for teamwork how about we meet in my old den and work together there. It's pretty spacious and nobody goes there. Well nobody except a few friendly neighbors and Anko."

She looked a bit worried when she heard me mention my neighbors. I told her it was a family of panthers that were my friends. That was prompted her to ask me where exactly was my den?

"My den is in a wonderful cave in the deep end of the forest near the village. They call it the forest of death but honestly my den makes this place look like a garbage dumpster. I hunt for all my food there, and there are so many fruits and nuts in the area I never buy any food. The stores won't sell me any anyways."

She sat next to me and placed her hand on my shoulder. "That is something I been meaning to ask you. Why does the people of our village hate you so much?"

Mom had a rather wicked idea or so I came to understand. 'Naruto help her enter your mind, I am sure after we three talk she will understand.' I told her to place her hand on my skin and close her eyes.

As she did I guided her with me to the place in my mind mom lived. I guess I shouldn't be surprised she was in her fox form when we got there.

It was pretty funny how she screamed and hid behind my back. "That's impossible! We both learned in history how the fourth killed the Kyuubi No Yoko when it first attacked the village!"

I took hold of her and told her it was alright. That my mom would not harm us or at least not without a reason. **"Your history is incorrect. I have lived for decades in the village inside my second jinchuriki. I was often treated as a weapon but she treated me as a sister. I was inside her when she carried Naruto and thus I felt everything she did. I suffered the pain of childbirth and love him as a mother does. Naruto is therefore is my son."**

" **I never wanted to attack the village. A masked man threatened to kill Kushina, her husband and Naruto if I didn't let him take me out of my sister. When outside he placed me in a genjutsu. By the time I regained consciousness he was gone, my sister was dead. He spoke to Hiruzen Sarutobi as I saw the damage and dead of the village."**

" **Fearing for the safety of my son I jumped into him to protect him and raise him as any mother would want to raise their son. I don't know what Minato said to the Third Hokage, but I did listen to the law that was made to protect him."**

" **The fools believe my son is my reincarnation and thus the reason for their hatred of him."** Mom began to sob as I could tell she felt guilty about the suffering and hate I had endured.


	5. Chapter 5

This is a Naruto Fan Fiction only.

I just figured that we would train together to work better together. I had no idea that she meeting my mom would have this result. I am standing watching a conversation that any other time would really upset me. Sayomi was talking to Kiba in her disguised form. That didn't upset me it was what she and Kiba were talking about.

"Kiba we both know you hate the Dope's snoring. It's liable to distract anyone and you think it's interfering with your studies. So here is a deal you will love. Switch seats with me, I am an Uchiha Elite so the Dope won't bother me in the slightest, hell I could probably nap like him and still pass."

I knew Kiba didn't like me much, but I guess I was a little sad that I wouldn't be able to chat with my buddy Akamaru as much anymore, but this was part of mom's idea to improve my teamwork with her so I had to take this seriously.

In the end Sasuke Uchiha ended up seated right next to me. The plan was simple but not without cost. I would go and learn from mom, but Sayomi would pretend to try and wake me up by shaking me. In truth she was going to be given lessons by a shadow clone of mom.

She didn't look particularly happy that she would have to catch up to me, but then again I had lessons with mom much longer than her. The cost that I was talking about came from either an attempt by Sakura to punch me or Ino trying to embarrass me with gossip she spread about me.

In truth our teamwork did get better as time went on and even with Sakura's obsessive attempt to make Sasuke hers we passed to the final exam. Once again I was given the same title as the year before. Yes, I was named the dead last of our class for two years in a row.

I just was so upset that I decided to go to the forest and walk up and down a rock wall that was at the back of the mountain were they carved the head sculptures of the Hokages. I really hated that no matter how well I did in both the practical and written test I was given a barely passing grade.

I suspected Mizuki since he was always mad after the exams, I guess he expected me to fail.

'Mom is this going to be the norm? I do my best but and up getting the worst grades in my class and basically be treated as an idiot? This thing is six years long! You mean I have to put up with till I graduate or should I say if I graduate!'

For some odd reason mom was laughing at my little outburst. 'In the end son it doesn't matter. We both know that is not the case and look at the upside. You get to spend more time with that Sayomi girl.'

I was so caught by surprise as she made that comment I nearly fell down the wall. I immediately went inside my mind to clear up the misunderstanding. "Mom read my lips, **I AM NOT IN LOVE WITH HER!** "

She laughed and pointed a finger at me. "Naruto I am your mother, nobody knows you better than I. As for not being in love those blushing cheeks say otherwise."

"Look son, you can lie, deceive, trick and even manipulate other people but you will never be able to with me. I'm your mother so drop the act. We both know you really like her, otherwise you would never introduce her to me. So tell me son what are you afraid of?"

I couldn't lie to her that was always true. I looked at her and couldn't help but to cry. "She needs to be strong to defend herself if her secret is discovered. The truth always comes out. The thing that scares me is what if they try to kill her because I like her? I don't think I be able to control myself if that happens."

She walked over to me and pulled me close. "Ah, my boy. There is nothing to cry about. Your my baby boy and the sad truth is death will come to her eventually. You got so little time to spend with her, and you are not spending time with her for fear of her getting hurt? You're a fox Naruto you are more cunning than that."

She kissed my head and I knew she was right. Once my body finishes growing up, aging was not a concern for me. She told me it was a side effect of growing up on her chakra as a baby. That was also the reason why I could turn into a fox. A fox is born with one tail, for the element he us born having mastery of.

My first element was fire and growing up I mastered control of eight others. Five elements that everyone knows off, and for nobody ever considers. Void, Light, Dark, and Soul are those last four elements, but I always had a feeling there was another one. I could imagine Time was also there but I could never even begin to manipulate time, so mastery of it was almost impossible.

A fox of my family gains a tail for each element we master, and thus I am a nine tails fox. She was right I can't let fear control me. I just need to be more cunning than they are.

I finished getting dressed and went to the academy to start my third year. I pretty much gave up walking on the ground since I found only hate filled glares to great me. I went through the air running and jumping from rooftop to rooftop.

I entered my classroom to find it empty. I sat down in my usual seat and decided to get an early start with the lessons from my mom. The lesson was in seals, and more specifically the use of seals in combat. I never knew that the drawings I was taught to draw in my infancy were all to prepare me for this.

Next thing I knew Sayomi was in my mind and I knew that the class had started. "So Naruto is it just my imagination or do you actually hate both of my stalkers? I don't know whether I should feel flattered, concerned or worried. I would be careful if I was you. They say the distance between love and hate is less than the a single hair."

I nearly fell down realizing what she said implied. "Don't like gossip, or those that spread it. I also don't like girls that think it's OK to date someone for their benefit only. This pretty much makes Ino and Sakura incompatible with me."

I continued learning as mom taught me so rather interesting things. Sayomi was learning from a shadow clone of mom. As we were on our break she was sitting right next to me as we sat under the shade of a large tree.

"So Naruto I guess this might sound weird, but do you think there will be a time when I don't have to hide my gender? It's just feels wrong for both of Sakura and Ino to flirt with me."

I looked at her trying to look as calm as possible. "Honestly Sayomi I imagine it will happen when you finally have a reason not to hide anymore or you put your foot down and tell the council you choose how many kids you will have and with whom. Those that don't like it they could go ahead and jump off the top of the Hokage mountain for all you care."

I looked at mom and smiled at her. "If they tried to force my daughter, well I guess I would need to inform the hokage of several vacant seats in the council. I won't let anyone take decisions about my daughter's reproductive rights. She wants to give me one or half a dozen grandkids it's her choice."

I don't think I said anything that was beyond common sense, but Sayomi was smiling at me and mom was doing something I only seen Lee do when he starts his monologue about the flames of youth.

"Yosh! That's my baby boy. I couldn't be more proud to be his mother!"

As the physical skills part of the class began Sasuke asked that he be paired with me, under the excuse that it was to spare the others having to spar with me.

We fought against each other and truly enjoyed it. Our skills during our team activities still had to have Sakura, but our training and classes with mom made us able to get some impressive results.

I of course had to bite my mouth shut every single time Sakura proclaimed that those results were all due to Sasuke's skills and if I wasn't there they would be the best in our year.

At the end of class I walked away towards a large rock on one of the training fields. I often thought that this rock had been made using an earth technique. I saw the large rock and began hitting the rock as hard as I could till my knuckles were covered in my own blood.

This was so far the only way I could get rid of my absolute desire of beating the two loud mouths into a coma. They were the embodiment of all the hate and prejudice the village had against me.

"You can come out Dog, I can tell you are there. Thanks for the rock by the way. It has proven to be a wonder stress relief tool." Dog came out from behind the nearby tree and walked towards me.

"Your very welcome Naruto. Naruto I need you to answer me honestly do you hate Sasuke? And what do you expect your genin squad to be like?" I looked at him with a dead serious expression on my face, that was reflected in his eye.

"No, I don't hate Sasuke as much as I should. I sometimes wish I was treated a tenth as nice as he is treated, but we both know that is never going to happen. As for my squad they always place the top ninja, kunoichi and dead last in a squad. So it will be Sasuke, Sakura and me if things continue as they have."

"As for what I expect life in the squad? Well at best I will be utterly ignored because Sasuke to my instructor is a worthwhile person to teach, not me for obvious reasons. In the worst case it will be a living hell, I will get to do most of the boring things and yelled at for everything I do, blamed and punished for anything that goes wrong."

I looked at the rock and then at the sky. "Sometimes I wonder if I should just runaway from this village. With mom's training I would be welcomed with open arms, well all villages except one."

Dog looked at me and just leaned against the tree. "So why don't you runaway?" I simply said that for two reasons. The first they would send ANBU to drag me back in chains, and because mom hated cowardly acts.

I walked home running up a nearby wall and then traveling through the rooftops. I did notice that some people had made clothes lines on the roof of their apartment building. I still didn't know whether they did it for their convince or to put stuff to make it harder for me to get back home.

I had to take an alternate route which placed me in a direct path through the Hyuuga Compound. I was not looking forward to crossing that part at all. Most branch family members and I got along just fine, but since I killed some of the main family members in the past they tend to attack me whenever they think they can get away with it.

For some reason Hinata was practically the only member of her family that treated me politely if not friendly. Thanks to my mother's training I made it across the compound by running on the wall.

As soon as I made it home I felt a presence behind me. "So my friend comes near my home and doesn't stop to say hello? Naruto you should know better than to think you could sneak around in the main family compound area and think that I wouldn't see you."

I turned around and tried to smile since he was a good friend of mine. "Neji honestly I had to go through that area. You see this black cat crossed my path and I had to take the long way to get home. I am really tired after the beating theme gave me in class."

"Look Neji, how about we talk a little bit how you been and have a cup of tea? After that I really need a shower and go to sleep." Neji had no objection to what I proposed.

I made two cups of tea and sat down as I handed him his. "So tell me what's new in your life?" I saw Neji take a sip from his cup.

"Not much actually. My attempts to get Tenten to notice my feelings for her have been an undeniable failure. I am pretty close to mastering the Gentle Fist style. How come Sasuke started to volunteer to be your spar partner for our class?"

I choked a little on my tea as I heard him ask that. "You know that nobody wanted to spar with me. I guess the parents of our classmates told them I was a deranged psycho after they learned what I did to those muggers. Teme is probably trying to seem noble."

Neji continued to drink his tea and finished when I finished telling that. "Well you are actually right about your suspicions. I know for a fact that Hinata's father pretty much warned her not no fight against you or sit close to you. He only said that you were too dangerous to have as a friend. I know because I was there in the family practice room when he said it."


	6. Chapter 6

This is a Naruto Fan Fiction only.

From time to time I jumped over the wall that is around the village, and do in fact wish that some idiot bandit or better yet a group of them would attack me. I could really cut lose and kill them all.

I know that relishing to massacre a bunch of greedy idiots should not give me this feeling of joy. With the way the village now obey the law, How am I going to release all this pent up anger if I don't do this?

Just my luck only thirteen bandits and some of them were so drunk I could smell it in their breath. I went back to the apartment I had to call home disappointed. All night and not a single decent fight.

'Don't worry so much son. It just means bandits are passing information between each other that being in the forest close to this village was a bad idea. Give it a few days and they will forget about it.'

I decided to take a bath and go to sleep on the floor. Damn if that bed was uncomfortable. I slept on a bare cave floor and that cave floor must feel like sleeping in a cloud compared to the lousy bed that came with the apartment.

I got up bright and early the next day. I ran on the rooftops and there was even more cloth lines up here. I was in a hurry so I said to hell with it. I just jumped over the cloth lines.

It made me ten minutes slower than my usual time. I was still alone so I decided to do as always and pretend to take a nap. My lessons were getting more and more complex. The gravity seal on me was put on a few days ago and boy did it take work to run and jump while pumping chakra through my legs constantly.

The lessons were in fact about how to make the seal, place it, maintain it and even upgrade it. It sure was nice that my mother was such a great teacher. I will never be able to thank her enough for all that she has done for me.

Sayomi was making good progress in her lessons or so my mother told me as I finished making a new gravity seal. The theory was simple to understand. The seal increases the effects of gravity on the person who has the seal on. The increase is regulated by the level of the seal.

If a seal is level two then that makes that person feel twice the normal gravity. The downside was if a person gets a seal places a seal in higher levels the seal could prove to be fatal.

I turned off my seal every Sunday morning and allow my body to adjust that day. If I could say anything is that when you turn off the seal after it has been active for a prolonged time has some unmentioned side effects.

The first time I felt like time slowed down, my speed was phenomenal and the rush I got was almost something that words still fail to describe for me.

Eventually I got used to it so I upgraded the seal. As I got used to it my body much to everyone's surprise seemed to change a little bit at a time. As the year progressed I got stronger and stronger. For some odd reason Iruka got angry with me more and more.

Choji insisted that we spar too, and so did Shino. I did my best to control myself but sometimes I simply acted out of reflex. "Damn it Naruto! That punch really was something. You been holding back on me! Yosh! The flames of youth you kept hidden finally come out!"

I know Lee is my good friend and our little shogi club has been good experience for all members, but man did I feel embarrassed to hear him say things about his philosophy if the flames of youth.

"Sorry you caught me by surprise and I reacted to a potential attacker. Grab that bottle in the cabinet, yea the one with the purple label." Lee handed it to me and I grabbed a bit of cotton. I wet it with the liquid from the bottle.

"Now show me where you hurt." He showed me the left side of his chest, and sure enough a bruise was already forming. I told him to hold still while I rubbed it over the area.

"Naruto mind telling me what's in that bottle?" I looked at Shikamaru as I returned the bottle and disposed of the used cotton.

"I don't get medical treatments like you or the rest of the village. So mother taught me a bit about medicines and how to brew different things to heal myself. That purple bottle has a potion that helps heal bruises, scraps and burns. It also helps prevent infections on the skin."

Neji laughed and said that I should have told them sooner. "I wish I had that potion of yours after the sparring match I had with Hinata last week. You know the one she had with me after you denied that date request again. Why don't you ever accept to date her?"

I closed the cabinet and turned around smiling. "Neji like I don't have enough trouble with 90% of our class hating my guts. Her father would outright take a contract on my life if I did that."

Shikamaru nodded his head in agreement. "Not to mention Kiba thinks she is going to be the mother of his children. So Naruto what's in the other bottles?"

"Orange for diarrhea, blue for indigestion or food poisoning, red for headaches and purple as I mentioned bruises, scraps and burns. The purple you rub, and the rest you just need a sip and you will be fine in a few minutes."

Choji asked why didn't I share how to make these with the village doctors? "Because they would never use them just because they heard how to make them from me. Let's face it Choji these would only be useful for people that either don't want to waste chakra or aren't near a person who can heal with their chakra."

"These are pretty minor things considering how dangerous our life as a ninja will be. So I placed it here for club members to use. This way we can begin sparring and even begin learning elemental manipulation. But if you think it's not that useful I will pack it up and take them back home with me."

For a second there I was actually expecting them to say that I did pack it up. That was until Shikamaru nodded his head in agreement. "Good thinking Naruto. I must admit I didn't for see that possibility. In fact I think I will bring a few of my clan's medicines to add to our little first aid kit. It's not exactly fair that you are the only one to contribute since it will helps all of us."

From that day on each membered contributed something to help the club and I couldn't be prouder of the attitude and general consensus that we helped each other out. Most none members flat out called us a gang, but we didn't care. We let the results speak for themselves.

The council tried to shut us down and I knew it was because of me. They finally stopped when the Hokage, ANBU Commander and even members of the Interrogation Division would sometimes show up and play shogi with our members. To date Shikamaru has not lost a single game to the Hokage and the old man cheats.

They say time flies when you are having fun, well it also does when you are constantly busy. I spent every minute I could either hunting for food, learning, training, or killing stupid bandits. I haven't killed a villager in a while. It seems they realize the law was not a joke.

My final exam day came and as I expected Sasuke got top marks and I passed by the skin of my teeth. I knew that would happen and I would never get the grade I actually got, but it still made me mad.

I was the dead last for three years in a row and I had three more years of this? I was liable to kill someone if that happens. Well telling the truth I do kill a bandit group every once in a while, but they offered me no challenge. I wanted a decent enemy for once, an enemy with whom I could go all out against.

Shikamaru came to me as I sat down on the swing in front of the academy entrance. "Why are you so down Naruto? You passed! I know Kiba is going to celebrate with his family."

I looked at my every lazy friend and smiled. "Shikamaru I want a decent fight. I want to fight without holding back. I sometimes feel this village is made out of paper. Always having to hold back or something might break or someone might die. The only chance I get to fight to my heart's content is either when they break a law or fighting bandits. One is more of a chore than anything else, and the other is so easy I have done it with my eyes closed."

Shikamaru touched my shoulder and I saw him shaking his head. "Don't worry my friend, once you graduate and go on missions you might find those opponents you want to fight. Just another three years and you will have a chance to get that which you yearn for now."

As I walked through the forest I felt like someone I didn't know was watching me. This person had the distinct smell of a snake for some reason. I continued to hunt for my dinner and every once in a while I heard this hissing coming from where this person was.

I skinned, cleaned and put the meat of my dinner and with a fire jutsu I finished cooking in a flash. I was taking a piece of it and began eating as I turned around and spoke to my unknown stalker.

"You know I don't mind sharing some of this food. Why don't you come a little closer? I don't bite." A woman wearing fishnet vest and was revealing a lot of skin came out of hiding.

"That's not what my friend said. She said that you planned to skin her and eat the rest for dinner. I am the equally hated and feared Snake Mistress of Konoha otherwise known as Anko Mitarashi. You sure I can grab a piece of that boar?"

I stopped eating and looked at her with a smile. "I wouldn't have offered if I was not being sincere. By all means be my guest, be sure to give some to your friends too. I think I heard them argue with you about being hungry."

Sure enough five serpents came out of her trench coat and began eating some of the cooked meat she set down for them. "This tastes great Naruto. Who taught you how to cook and were did you find the herbs?"

I laughed and smiled remembering what my mother said when she taught me how to cook. "This forest is the greatest grocery store in the world. You can find anything you could possibly want to eat, herbs and spices to cook. I love this forest it's the only place that makes me feel like I am home."

She must have found that funny since she laughed as she said that. "Nice to see I am not the only one that sees the beauty of this place. I followed you because I was curious why would someone who is not even a genin come here? And why you looked so relaxed?"

We finished the rest of the boar meat and I was getting ready to leave when she asked me a question that made me think. "If you love this forest why haven't you signed a summon contract? I know for a fact that there are several summon beast clans in the forest."

I didn't realize that there were summon beast clans in the forest. I guess it must be because I either haven't met any, they didn't introduce themselves as such or maybe they found me unworthy to sign their summon contract.

"I guess they found me unworthy to sign a summon contract. I just need to keep training and getting stronger to prove otherwise. See you around Anko, tell Dog that he missed a meal because he was being too shy."


	7. Chapter 7

This is a Naruto Fan Fiction only.

The beginning of my fourth year was pretty much as the year before. I was pretty sad since mom pretty much told me to help Sayomi learn what she was teaching her. I finished my training and education faster and better than my peers could ever dream off.

The time in the shogi club made me truly love helping others get better. My training and help had made significant benefits to my fellow club members. Choji mastered the transformation technique to such an extent that he made himself look like an absolute chick magnet.

Shino had a much deeper connection with his hive, they truly considered him as close as family and the way they worked together showed this in every single of his fights.

Lee learned that he needed to also strength his bone density and not just his muscles. I guess telling him to take better care of his diet, and providing him with sound advice paid off. Now if I could get him to wear something other than spandex and stop yelling about the fires of youth.

I looked at mom as she finished teaching Sayomi today's lessons. It means that we had to go outside for our physical skills training. "Mom do you have any idea why Mizuki hates me? I ace every test, so the only thing that they could possibly doctor is my physical skills scores."

She smiled at me and reminded me never to take things at face value and to look underneath the underneath. I got to the class and we were throwing kunai at wooden dummies yet again. Sure we were told where to hit, but to me at least was no different than the time Neji wanted to play darts as a training exercise.

"This is beyond boring. I could do this with my eyes closed." Mizuki must have heard me say that because he dropped what he was doing and came to stand next to me.

"So this is too easy for you. I am sorry to hear that Naruto. I have an idea why don't you show us what you can do. For every target you miss you do a hundred push ups, pull ups, and squats." I just had to ask what did I get if I didn't miss any of them.

I knew that by the look in his eyes he was going to say something I wouldn't like. "If you don't miss any of them? Well lunch is on me. That's right Naruto I will have lunch with you and pay for our meals."

One the one hand I didn't want the humiliation of missing and ending up looking like a fool, and on the other hand if I didn't miss I have a plate of that salty, fatty, food that tasted good but was not that good for me. I could practically hear mom gagging.

In the end I closed my eyes and didn't miss a single one. I was sitting right next to him as we both ate our bowl of ramen. He ordered pork ramen and I had the fish ramen. "Nice throws Naruto. I guess I will just have to make your practice harder. You should have told me it was too easy for you."

I was certainly not expecting this at all. Mizuki was actually being considerate and gave me a complement. What was going happen next pig flying and that jackass of a godfather of mine would finally admit to being gay and decide to become a wandering Buddhist monk?

"Naruto I really mean it. Those were some nice throws. I guess I should expect this from my top student. It is always a surprise to me that you end up as dead last. I guess you really must have done horrible in your written exams. Iruka often complains about how you never pay attention in class and always take naps."

I ate my food quietly and decided to leave the stall before I ended up saying something I would regret. That was the plan until he said something that made me stop. "You know Naruto I guess you don't know this but I was actually an orphan like you."

"My parents died during a battle in the third shinobi world war. Their commanding officer and his wife adopted me. I know you don't know anything about your folk, and it's a pretty big secret. I can't tell you their names but I can tell you had they lived you would have grown up as my baby brother."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. It took mother telling me it was true to get me over my shock. "If that is the case why were you always so demanding of me and would limit who I could spar with? It made me think that you didn't want me to pass the final exam at all."

Mizuki looked at me with a totally serious look on his face. "Naruto the life of a ninja is a constant struggle. You will have to complete missions that would more than likely kill an ordinary civilian villager. If I was tough on you it was because I believe you could handle it. If I was demanding it was because I want you to survive. I am doing my best for you little brother! Have a little more faith in your big brother!"

He finished saying that in the worst way possible. Held me in place with his arm around my neck and was messing up my hair with the knuckles on his free hand. For some reason this also made the owner of the ramen stall so happy they told us our ramen was on the house.

I got home to find Dog waiting for me by my bedroom window. "So Mizuki finally told you why he is extra demanding on you. It's about time he told you. If he waited another month I would tell you the reason myself. Mizuki was not the only one your parents adopted you know. I was also adopted but my parents died in different ways than his did."

"Mom died during my birth and Dad was driven to commit suicide after he failed a very important mission. I heard what he did from your dad and I still say he made the right choice. Success was only possible if he let one of his squad die. He chose to abort the mission rather than let a squad member die."

"People that abandon a mission are scum, but those that abandon their squad members are worse than scum. Remember that always Naruto. One day your life may come to depend in your squad."

I looked at him and began shaking my head. "Dog I train harder than any of them. I have killed and don't hesitant to do what I must. I will always train harder and harder so that I can stand for myself without depending on anyone. I might not even graduate if the teachers keep stacking my grades against me."

He looked at me with a dead serious look on his eye. "Even should that happen I believe my commander would welcome you into my division with open arms. The village might not think that highly of you Naruto, but we in ANBU have seen how you dealt with those bandits. You even rescued the hostages. We in ANBU respect your professionalism."

Part of me wanted to call him a liar. Mom on the other hand taught me to try and be as polite as the situation called for. "Dog trust me, they will never let me graduate. How could they risk losing their favorite scapegoat? I know full well what I am considered by this village. I'm a weapon to the hokage and the council nothing more and nothing less."

He came in and sat on my crummy sofa as I finished saying that. "That is the same as all the ninja in the village Naruto. They might treat us better, but deep down we are weapons that protect this nation. I know we think of ourselves are people on a job, some even think of themselves as sort of guardians."

I began to go to my closet and prepare for the next day as he said that. "I really don't care what they think of me truth be told. I know what I am, who I am and my own worth. I have no need for their approval or even appreciation. I have spent nothing in their markets and I get all the food I need from my forest home."

"Mention one thing this village has ever given me? Just one thing." Dog looked thoughtful for a second before I saw him get up from the sofa and looked at me. He walked near the window he entered into this place. "Life, home, and a chance for happiness. You asked for one I gave you three, aren't I generous? Sweet dreams little brother."

With that he left and I must admit not even I was expecting that answer.

The next morning I was once again going to school. I had no plans other than keep training and helping Sayomi as mother kept teaching her things she already taught me. If only mom would just call her by her name, and not daughter in law sometimes it would be less embarrassing for both of us.

The classes were as boring as ever, and the physical skills classes did get harder for me. Neji even complained that Mizuki was picking on me during one of our club meetings. I just had to set the record straight and tell him I asked for my practice during class to be tougher.

"Neji while I do appreciate you looking out for me. I have to tell you I had to ask that the class be more difficult. I can't let myself go soft. Our lives will be as if we are walking by the edge of our kunai. We need to be tough or we will not survive."

The others nodded their head and said that was why they had extra training with their respective clans. I saw that he understood that unlike the others in our club. I didn't have the benefits of having a clan to help me.

As the days went on and the final exam was coming closer I began to wonder why the hell do I try to do my best in the exams if they will always call me the dead last. That was when mom said something that I would never forget. 'Everything you do reflects on me. If you do bad it must mean I was a bad mother to you and didn't raise you correctly.'

I once again aced the written and passed with flying colors the practical exam. The next day I knew what was coming but I felt like might as well get it over with. Sure enough Sasuke was named top ninja of our year. Sakura was named top kunoichi of the year and I was dead last once again.

I went to where Ino was seating behind the counter of her family's flower shop. "Tell me something Ino, you are Sakura spend hours working out, dieting, taking care of your hair or taking care of your skin. How is it that Sakura has been kunoichi of the year four years in a row?"

Into didn't even bother looking away from her fashion magazine. "Don't know the answer to that Naruto and I am not crazy enough to go into that skull to find out. I am busy enough trying to get Sasuke to notice I exist. You buying something or your just here as a pest?"

I looked at her and at what flowers were left on the stands. "It's not like you will actually sell me anything. I tell you it just doesn't make any sense. I am beginning to think she is sleeping with Iruka, Mizuki or both. Enjoy the rest of the magazine Ino. There is a typo on page six by the way."

I made it home after a nice day at the club. I was having such a bad day until I got to spend some time with my friends. Helping them get better, and seeing them improve made my bad day into a good day. They even helped me train as well.

Some of the villagers may still call us a gang but we didn't care. Our friendship was tougher than those fools ever realized. As I got ready for dinner someone knocked at my door. No one expected the top ninja of our year to visit, and something told me she was not about to announce this.

She stepped in to my apartment and she was carrying a rather large bag. As soon as she was inside she closed all windows and even used her chakra to make sure no sound would escape. I guess she was using the privacy seal mom taught her.

"Naruto mind telling me what was that nonsense about Sakura getting top grades by sleeping with our teachers?" She decided to turn off her technique and I was seeing the real Sayomi looking rather angry.

"I guess Ino told you about that. I guess I was planning a bit of a revenge against Sakura. Don't think I didn't notice how she tried to offer you a tainted lunchbox. If the village can use rumors to make my life a living hell, why can't I use it to protect you?"

I saw her anger evaporate and a smile was on her face. "So you did it for me, well that is different. Mind if I use your kitchen I decided to put my cooking skills to the test and make you a wonderful dinner. You haven't eaten have you?"

This was a brand new experience for me, and some uncharted territory to boot. I guess I had a bit of an internal conflict since she started cooking. One the one hand I wanted to be honest with Sayomi, but on the other if her dish was not that tasty and I told her it would hurt her feelings.

'Naruto a relationship is based on trust. If her dish taste bad tell her. It might hurt a little but you lying to hurt would hurt her a lot more. Trust me I taught her how to cook. How bad could she be with me teaching her?'


	8. Chapter 8

This is a Naruto Fan Fiction only.

The next morning I woke up in a much different situation. I seem to remember Sayomi cooking me dinner and then mentioning something about a dessert. That very dessert was that caused me to wake up like I did.

Right next to me in the most uncomfortable bed in Konoha I woke up with Sayomi and she had nothing on except a smile. "Well Naruto I can tell you something. Your wife is going to be very happy in your bed, but you do tend to snore quite a bit too. Is there any chance I might get breakfast in bed?"

I could not get over the fact she has such a beautiful body and she has to hide it pretending to be a guy. It just didn't make any sense. Sayomi by now was more than able to take care of herself.

"So Sayomi do you have any idea what are we going to do when someone realizes Sasuke isn't home?" She did something I would never expect, then again I didn't expect the dinner or her sleeping with me either.

"I left a shadow clone pretending to be me in my male disguise form. These people are so clueless it's sad to think about it sometimes. More importantly do you think I might get another chance to get another doze of what we did last night?"

I looked at her and she was dead serious about the last part. I don't know how but somehow I could feel mom and a shadow clone of herself giving each other a high five and cheering as she asked that.

"Any time that we can make sure we don't end up making an unexpected order to the stork if you know what I mean." She blushed bright red and punched me on my shoulder before laughing while covering her mouth with her hand.

"I wouldn't worry about that lover boy. I happen to be a very formal lady evidence to the contrary not withstanding. Remember the order how things go. First comes love, then comes marriage and lastly you push our baby in a baby carriage. So no grandkids for that fox mother of yours till I have a ring on this hand got it!"

I was very happy to hear her say that. I hugged her and kissed her quite a few times. "Glad to hear you say that. I don't even want to imagine how to explain Sasuke has to be absent from class for a long time due to maternity leave."

We both got dressed but not before she asked me to take a shower with her. I know as a teenager I am hormonal but even I didn't expect us to end up doing it like a pair of dogs in heat as we took a shower together and my apartment doesn't have a boiler.

She left through the window and I followed for a bit until we both reached Sasuke's home. She must have transformed and switched with the clone at some point. "So to what do I owe the unpleasant visit dope?"

I looked at her and understood what was going on. "Well teme here I was thinking that you might want to join our Shogi Club instead of sitting here on your butt doing nothing. Here I am trying to be friendly and this is what I get!"

She tried to sound bored and I understood that but still I can remember how she behaved during our shower and it was a little weird. "Unlike you dope, I don't need other to tutor me to barely pass my final exam. Why don't you start looking for a job? Since you will need one when you don't graduate."

I left pretending to be upset and I saw the reason for the entire act. Sakura was behind one fence surrounding her home and Into was on a tree branch just above Sakura. 'Part of me wanted to tell them the truth and consequences be damned. Another part of me wanted to respect Sayomi's rights and wait till she decided to stop pretending to be a guy.'

Mom approved what I was thinking. 'I would expect no less from my baby boy. You make mommy proud thinking like that. I am a little disappointed though, I was hoping for a few grandkids guess I will have to wait a long while.'

'Mom we aren't even married and you are already thinking of grandkids? Let me get married and enjoy it a little while. You know how tough it is to be a parent.'

As I ran towards the first day of class of our fifth year I couldn't help but smile as I remember the many secret dates I had with Sayomi, the nights spent together, and the mornings waking up with someone who loved me.

I got to my classroom and I promptly started to pretend to take a nap. In reality I was working on a secret project of mine. I been studying the summon seal and I had designed a variant of it. I drew one on my right arm and the other in a kunai.

The theory was if I used the seal on my arm I should be able to teleport to the position of the sealed kunai. I don't know why but mother was chuckling when I told her my theory. It took many days to get everything ready but today was the first actual test.

I threw the kunai or at least the mental image of the kunai and used the seal on me. As I went towards the seal kunai I noticed time seem to slow down. In a matter of seconds, at least that what it felt to me I travelled across five hundred feet.

Mom was clapping and was really proud of what I achieved. She hugged me, "That's my boy. You took only a month to figure out something your dad took years to do. I couldn't be prouder than I am now!"

I walked a little bit and began to wonder why mom never mentioned dad before? I could only guess it must be pretty painful for her. "So mom if dad made this technique what is it called?"

She smiled and sat down next to me. "It's called the flight of the thunder god. You might not noticed it yourself but when you used it you disappeared in a flash of yellow light. Next time leave a shadow clone and you will see it yourself."

I was simply happy my theory actually worked. "Flight or not it's sure a rush getting from one point to another quickly. I can imagine this is useful to catch enemies by surprise. Since the initial test is a success now I need the shadow clones to master the control of it."

"This will also require more metals and time at the local forge. I only have that test kunai. To really put this to practice I need at least five more." Mom was nodding her head as she approved on my ideas.

"There is also helping your lover with her training, Sumi and her family told a clone they needed to see you for something, and if that was not enough attend class every day at the academy. You got a lot on your plate my boy."

Sayomi's training was also a chance for me to spend time with her. I don't know when or how but I simply got more and more comfortable being with her. If Sakura and Ino knew the very supposed boy they constantly fought to get his attention was a girl, and a girl so beautiful that make them both look rather plain they would lose their minds.

Class was the same thing as always. Iruka subjecting them to one boring lecture after another. Mizuki finding ways for my weapons, taijutsu and other essential skills tests and challenges to be that much tougher than the rest of the class. In truth his class was the one I was never bored in.

My kunai experiment came crashing down when the local blacksmiths found me trying to forge the five kunai I needed. They chased me half across the village screaming such foul things that made me wonder how they kiss their wives, kids or mothers with mouths like theirs.

"So much for me making my kunai. Damn it, I was on the verge of developing a new alloy too. I told them mom that this alloy would make better weapons, armors and a whole bunch of other things. It's the story about my potions all over again."

"The only way I will get this stuff done is either to get some blacksmithing equipment or kill a blacksmith and take over the shop. Since these idiots don't brake the law anymore I have to find a way to get that blacksmithing equipment and a place to act as a forge. If I have to do all that this village isn't getting this alloy ever. Not even if they beg me!"

I was just that upset that my projects have been basically put on indefinite hold due to the prejudice and stupidity of some village blacksmiths. 'Damn it! I was going to be able to put my new technique to actual field testing but without the kunai that can handle it, my technique will not be able to be effective.'

I hear mom growl at me from deep inside my mind. 'First **Naruto watch that language! I didn't raise a punk.** Second you could ask either Dog or the Hokage for help. Since it benefits his village so much I would ask the hokage first.'

I decided to listen to my mother's wise advice. I walked over to the window to the Hokage's office. I was caught by surprise as the window opened and someone looked up to see me standing a little higher than the window frame.

"Do you need something Naruto? Or is this just a friendly visit? Either way come inside, I got some nice tea I would like your opinion on." I walked into the office through the open window and sat in a chair near his desk.

"I am currently working on a new technique, but my kunai can't handle the stress it puts on them. I am thinking of developing a new metal alloy, but every blacksmith in this village will not let me enter their business, much less let me anywhere near their forges."

He kept listening until I finished. "You have to understand Naruto most blacksmith do not let strangers handle their tools or their forge. It's a trade that is passed down from parent to child. I imagine it has a significant emotional attachment as well. So what metals do you want to try and mix together for this new alloy?"

"I want to mix iron, copper and chakra conductive metal. 40% iron, 25% copper and the rest chakra conductive metal. This should make it strong, lightweight and durable." I couldn't understand why the Hokage had such a shocked look on his face. He took a sip from his tea and tried to look more composed.

"You aren't the first to try making that alloy. The Fourth Hokage tried to have our blacksmiths make that alloy but no matter how they tried the metal would end up losing some of the chakra conductivity. What makes you think you will succeed were experienced blacksmith failed?"

I held out two fingers in front of him. "First I got shadow clones so I will not try to do it alone, and second I never said that I had not succeeded making a small sample. This kunai was made using fire chakra, but to make more or larger blades I need a forge."

He took the kunai and began to exam it by spinning on the top of his open hand. "A little rough, and unbalanced. I imagine it's because you didn't have proper blacksmithing tools. It does have nice conductivity and I see it has a seal on it. Strange the seal almost looked like one that a student of Jiraiya made."

I smiled as he gave me my rather roughly made kunai. "My mother has taught me everything I know. After living as long as she has I could never find a wiser, more patient and caring teacher. She even taught me how to do a technique called the tail beast ball. Just wish it didn't leave such a unpleasant taste in my mouth."

He immediately got an interested look in his eyes. "So why does it taste bad to you?" I had to be honest mixing all the elements in my mouth did make for a rather acidic taste in my mouth.

"Mom keeps telling me that is because I haven't practiced it enough. With enough mastery she says I could do it outside of my mouth. I will just keep practicing with the shadow clones. In a couple of years I should have this technique down. What am I to do about the problem I have regarding my experiment?"

He stood up and got a piece of paper. He wrote something on it and handed it to me. "The man in charge of making weapons and armor for our village's ANBU division will help you with your experiment. All I ask is that you document everything and try to do it according to safe practices. As for the metal I shall allow you to use the metal from broken and disregarded weapons and armor. This should help you somewhat."

I got up and was ready to leave through the window as I entered his office. "Thank you for your help with this, Lord Hokage." I felt a hand on my arm pretty much telling me to stop.

"Don't hesitate to ask for my help Naruto. Helping my people is one of the few joys I have and please use the door. We wouldn't want people thinking that you are a thief now would we?"

I jumped down from the ceiling and walked towards his office door. "I would use your office door more often but your secretary seems to hold a grudge against me. As for a bad opinion of me, the village holds me in such low regard it would take a miracle to lower it even further."


	9. Chapter 9

This is a Naruto Fan Fiction only.

At long last the final year in the academy began, and I swear that if someone tells me this hell was the happiest time in my life. I will probably thank that person and say that it sure was. Just to see the shocked look on my jounin instructor's face.

My experiments were of course a complete success and thanks to me experiments I could in theory take down a few dozen enemies at a time. The second success and one I was particularly proud of was my chakra magnet seal. Just by sending a little bit of my chakra I could collect any weapon that had this seal on.

It never made any sense to me that we throw all these weapons in a battle, but waste time to pick each and every weapon by hand. I couldn't wait for the next band of stupid bandits to come. I could finally put this new seal to a real field test.

"You seem to be quite happy Naruto, it is because you already picked a job to do after you flunk out as a ninja?" I looked at Kiba and smiled.

"Sure have, but the real question have you? I guess helping your sister by providing physical therapy to her patients." Kiba was about to punch me when Akamaru jumped down and started chatting with me.

I guess he sort of smelled the fact that I signed a summon contract with the panther clan. Who knew the reason they were my neighbors all that time was because my biological mother, their last summoner, requested they keep an eye on me.

'I always wondered why Sumi and her family could speak like humans do. Now that I know boy do I feel dumb for not noticing it sooner. Uncle had those toads, aunty with her slugs and I think my godfather had snakes or toads as his summon. I never met any of them, at least my uncle had a good reason for that. He is dead.

Classes were for boring and if anything a review of things I already knew. Iruka loved to lecture about the things he was in charge of teaching, it was just that he never put any real life examples or any sort of examples that were not straight out of a class textbook.

I either helped his mother teach Sayomi, or devoted my class time working on new ways to use seals. "Naruto why do you need to invent new seals and ways to use them? This village has tons of them already developed and in scrolls in our village library. You just need to go and you can borrow as many books and scrolls as you like."

I stopped working on my absorption seal to look at her. I needed her to understand why I did all this research and development. "Sayomi you mean the world to me but let's put that aside. Think about this question and once you know the answer you will know why I do what I do."

She sat down and looked at me waiting to hear my question. "This village is full of people who either hate me enough to celebrate my death or people that want to kill me. If you want to make it easy for you to kill a guy, do you let him have access to the library and risk your victim become stronger with the knowledge of that library?"

I waited and it finally dawn on her and mom was nodding her head telling her that her suspicions were correct. "Everything he knows and you learned with us came from me. My boy has been kicked out of the library every time he even entered the place."

" If Konahamaru can get away with anything just because he is the grandson of the Third Hokage, why can't my son enter this village's public library if he is the son of the Fourth Hokage? My son is not clan less, he is the head of the Uzumaki and Namikaze clans in this village."

I wanted to keep that last part a secret. I know that having two seats in the Shinobi Council may sound wonderful, but since I was never recognized as being the last member of both clans had some benefits and some disadvantages. So far to me the benefits outweighed the disadvantages by a metric ton.

The advantage was that I actually possessed several bloodline abilities to draw upon, and nobody could force me to be under the CRA or Clan Restoration Act. It was a law that would pretty much force me to marry multiple women and have as many kids as possible.

I never liked that law since it pretty much treated women as a baby factory, and the fact that under this law the council could pretty much choose who I had to marry. The disadvantages were since I was not recognized the village had no responsibility to honor past agreements, business contracts or even give me my earnings from the many businesses my family invested in.

The Uzumaki clan owned part of every restaurant, food store and medical supply store with in the village. The Namikaze Clan owned part of every bookstore, equipment, weapon and even explosives store in the village. Jointly they owned part of every inn, hotel, motel, and entertainment venue. As heads of both clans I am probably as rich as the Hokage.

If I wanted to destroy the village all I had to do is march right into the council when in session and I was of adult age and demand that I be paid my share of the profits for all the investments under my clans. This would effectively bankrupt Konoha into oblivion.

As the class entered the physical skills test they decided to pit me against Neji. "Naruto you might as well give up now. It's fate that you will lose to me. You are within my field of divination."

I grabbed two of my special kunais and threw one at the edge of the sparing ring. "Naruto you idiot! The pointy part goes into the other person, not the ground! No wonder you are dead last every year so far." It really upset me to hear Kiba say that, but what I have in mind will shut him up.

I kept evading Neji's attacks and threw the second kunai and it hit the end opposite to the first.

The stage has been set, I was ready to go, it's show time!

Just as Neji was about to kick me and I saw the look that he said to me he believed victory was at hand I was not there anymore. I was standing next to one of my kunai I threw.

He ran towards me and in a flash I was next to the other kunai. I could do this the whole day and that is how our fight went on. He ran towards me and I was on the other side of the sparring area. I kept doing this for so long that Neji was breathing hard as he finally reached me.

"So much for fate, fate is not written in stone or paper. You need to make your own fate and not depend on fate being decided for you. We can only trust the fate we make ourselves."

I put my hand up and sent chakra through the air. Both my kunai came flying into my open hand. "Thanks Neji! You really put my experiments through a great field test."

Neji got something that looked like his canteen and took a drink. I could tell what was in it by the smell. "Always happy to help you my friend. Ah this juice sure feels great after a workout. Thanks for giving me the recipe."

We both looked at the stunned look on everyone's face. Well except for Sasuke and Mizuki that is.

I decided to snap them out of their shock by standing in the middle of the sparring area. "Why is everyone so quiet? We just ended our spar and where is the next sparring match? What is class over?"

Mizuki just said that indeed class was over for the day, but he needed for me to accompany him to talk with the Hokage. Kiba, Sakura and Into were having fun saying that I was in trouble and that I was going to get it!

As I walked into his office I just knew that he saw the entire thing. I just waited to be polite like mom always taught me to be.

"Naruto would you mind telling me if you found out who your father is?"

I looked at him and with a straight and serious face I told him I didn't have a clue who he or my biological mother was except that they were the supposed heads of the Namikaze and Uzumaki clans. I might be lying but I was told by mom to keep their identities a secret.

"So if you don't know who you father is, how are you using the flight of the thunder god?"

I again looked dead serious and sat down on a chair in front of his desk. "Mother lived for decades in Uzushiogakure. She taught me everything she knows about seals. I figured if I made a few modifications on the summon seal I might be able to travel from one point to another quickly and not waste so much time or chakra."

I told him it took me two whole months to make it, but I couldn't test it until I made my alloy and a few dozen kunai.

I got up briefly and took a single one from my hip belt and placed it on the desk.

"No one but me can in fact use it, since each seal has to be configured to the user's chakra network. The other seal is my other invention it's a magnetic seal. Send chakra through the air and the user can retrieve all weapons he has thrown."

He finished looking at it and placed it back on the desk. I held an open hand towards it and sent chakra in the air, and sure enough the blade came right back into my open hand.

"Since I had enough sealed kunai and Neji agreed to help me field test the seal. We just did as we had planned during our last shogi game. We are members of the shogi club after all."

I saw a look I never expected appear on his face. He looked worried for some reason, I was sure he would tell me if he felt I needed to know.

"Naruto please only use that technique in life or death situations. If an Iwa ninja see you use it, they will try to kill you as soon as they can. It was a technique that was used to kill hundreds of their ninja during the last war. They hold a grudge against us and hate anyone who knows that technique."

I didn't see the reason to hold such a grudge, to me it seemed more like they were sore that they lost. "Still don't get it, no matter how many times I hear of it. It's not like they didn't kill our ninja. I am pretty sure they didn't go to our people throwing rose petals and offering to make them a home cooked meal."

"When people fight in wars they have a very good chance of getting killed. It has been like that since humanity fought the very first war. We might have improved our methods of fighting since then, but war never changes."

I must have sounded strange because they were both starring at me with their mouths open as I finished saying that. Guess nobody ever told them this.

"Naruto you may be right and they may be just sore losers, or hold a grudge without ever realizing how it makes them look immature and or spoiled. But please think about what would happen to the people of this village if you died?"

I didn't even need to picture it. "They probably build a statue to the guy that killed me, so large that the hokage mountain will seem like a shrine. They will collect money and pay my killer enough so that his great grandchildren never have to work a day, the day I died a village wide day of celebration and they would celebrate it each year."

"Children would dress up as my killer and reenact my death. They would tell each other something like Happy Naruto's Death Day! That is what would happen."

I saw the Hokage look at me with a sad look in his eyes, "Naruto not everyone would be happy to see you or hear of your demise. I can't tell you how others would feel, but I would be very sad to know you were killed."


	10. Chapter 10

This is a Naruto Fan Fiction only.

Most people would feel nervous about the final exam that would decide their future path in life. Most people would also be nervous enough not to be able to sleep the previous night, or lose their appetite or even their breakfast. Not me, I had a wonderful night sleep, great breakfast, and was running on top of rooftops towards my last day in the academy.

How am I feeling you ask? Am I nervous like so many of my classmates? No I am not nervous at all. I am mad as hell that either this exam they will mark me as a failure, or finally give me a trophy for being the consecutive dead last every single year.

"Class you only need a piece of paper and a pencil all of which has been provided for this portion of the exam. I shall also handle the Ninjutsu section since Mizuki is apparently late this morning. You got thirty minutes to answer the written exam. Hand up if you finished so that I can collect your test and you don't disturb people still answering their test."

The test took me a grand total of five minutes to answer. I checked it, and made sure everything was answered correctly. I raised my hand and it turns out I was the first to do so.

"Teacher I am done with my test. Please tell me what you want me to do." Iruka walked to my seat and glared at me with such hate I couldn't help but to smile. He took my test and looked it over. What he said next caught me by surprise.

"So Naruto you knew so little that you think you can guess the right answer? With you sleeping through all my classes I was not expecting much. You want to know what I need you to do? Shut up, be quiet and let the students that actually paid attention in class finish their test. Do you think you can handle that?"

I looked at my teacher and just nodded my head. He left and began to read my answers on the test more carefully.

I took a book from my belt pouch and began to read. It was a book on different animal languages my mom dictated to a few shadow clones. I still couldn't figure out how she was able to do that from inside me, but she never gave me a single clue. She only said figure it out in your own.

Kiba by my estimation was not doing so good on the test. I saw Iruka take the test sheet way from him and heard him complain that he could have used five more minutes. The Ninjutsu section was pretty standard affair. Transformation, followed by Substitution and finally Clone technique.

I change into a perfect copy of the Hokage, switched places with Kiba. Not that Akamaru mind at all. I made a clone and a shadow clone both then transformed into me and Akamaru.

Iruka told me to stick to the test, and not be a show off. Kiba walked over and picked Akamaru off my head. "Guess we can chat later. Hey Akamaru don't hold back in the test alright?" Akamaru flat out said that he wasn't planning to hold back anyways.

Guess the smell from my summons was making him a bit irritated. Can't blame him panthers were felines and he was a dog.

Mizuki finally arrived as the Ninjutsu part was over. I wanted to ask him why he was late but that would cause a delay in our exams. Both me and Sasuke got perfect scores in our thrown weapons test. Kiba hit about three thirds of the targets and some even got ninety percent of the targets.

My fight against Kiba was fun if anything else. I left towards my apartment feeling pretty confident on my exam result. You know the old saying to be careful what you wish for? For years I wished I wasn't the dead last, and after how I did in the exam I went to sleep finally feeling like I was going to get my wish.

I woke up bright and early eager to hear my results and receive my headband. All graduates received a metal band headband with the symbol of the village. It served to identify where a ninja came from and what village he or she was from. Akamaru flat out called a dog collar.

I sat waiting as Iruka read the class roster and each of the final grades for each in our class. You can imagine my surprise when I heard Kiba actually graduated. I thought that he choked on the written test, guess he made it up in the other sections.

Finally he got to my name and I guess I got my wish, and my worst fears came true. "Naruto Uzumaki, grade F. You will have to pick a trade job to learn." Sakura and Ino were laughing so hard that they fell from their chairs. Since I didn't graduate I was excused as what Iruka had to say was for graduates only.

I decided to sit on the swing outside the academy to contemplate what my options were. I saw the happy looks of other students and how proud their parents looked. They all left muttering something that was supposed to be impossible for me to hear, but I heard every word.

The parents that muttered were saying how happy they were that I failed. Some even said that it would be a disaster for a thing like me to become a ninja.

'Don't let it get to you son, we both have heard worse. Never expected they would do this to you, but I guess when dealing with humans I really should have expected it.'

Iruka was the last to exit the academy and surprisingly he look rather sad as he walked towards me and stood next to me. "I don't know how you failed Naruto. You had perfect marks on the test and ninjutsu part. I often thought you did great in physical skills. Once we averaged your score your grade dropped and we couldn't allow you to graduate."

I guess the whole baby brother talk was just to get me to lower my guard, and Mizuki was the one that doctored my grades all along. "We can't let you graduate if you can pass the exam, it would be a death sentence."

I looked at him and was shaking my head as he said that, "I should have known this place would never let me graduate. I got perfect scores in my physical skills part of the exam, but why did it matter anyways? They were going to fail me anyways!"

Iruka placed a hand on my shoulder, "Naruto I guess you think this is unfair, and you are right. This is unfair, so I decided to give you a practical make up test. Pass this and you graduate!"

I knew a set up when I heard one, I wasn't a fox for nothing after all. I pretended to be excited and looked really happy to hear him say that. I asked him what I had to do?

"Ninja have to sometimes infiltrate and steal a scroll from enemy buildings. You have to sneak into the Hokage's private library and steal the big red colored scroll on the pedestal. Take it to the old hunting lodge in the woods. I will find you and give you your headband once I see that you have the right scroll."

"This should pretty much show me and anyone who doubts your skills that you can be a ninja. This exam starts as soon as I finish telling you where the lodge is, you got five hours to complete this exam and you will have to evade capture by ninja of our village. If you steal a scroll from an enemy, they too will try to capture you to get it back."

I heard where the lodge was and left as quickly as possible. As I sneaked into the private library mom had something to tell me.

'Naruto this scroll is called the forbidden scroll and in terms of value it is a treasure trove of knowledge. Something tells me he wants to steal it and kill you. He can kill you and either pretend to have done it for the village to get a promotion or give it to another village and get a better rank with that village.'

I decided to hide the real scroll and have a shadow clone change into the scroll. I picked up the disguised shadow clone and took off. Sure enough everyone that had ever held a kunai was sent to capture me.

But due to my techniques and kunai they had no chance in hell of catching me. At least that is what I felt. I got to the hunting longue to find Mizuki was already there. How did he know I was going to come here?

"What a surprise to see you Naruto. Did you come to join me on my day off hunting trip?" I was speechless as he said that. I asked him how did he find me? Why did he doctor my exam scores to make me get a failing grade?

He honestly looked surprised as I said that. "Naruto what are you talking about? Iruka told me the final exam was postponed. It was supposed to happen tomorrow. That is the reason why he told me I could take the day off. Doctor your grades? Naruto you are one of the best students I ever taught. I guess Iruka did something to your grades. He often told me you got a zero in the written exams."

I told him everything Iruka told me and that was when he got really angry. "I should have checked your actual written tests myself. This entire thing is a lie. I haven't been in the village since early evening last night. Brother this whole thing is a trap! **Iruka why don't you show yourself you stinking traitor!** "

I saw Iruka come out of hiding. "I guess it was too much to hope for this thing killing you, and giving me another justified reason to kill it! But no you had to explain it to this thing! You mean to tell me you honestly think of that thing as your brother? You dare to call me a traitor when you clearly are willing to defend that monster!"

Mizuki threw his big shuriken and cut off a tree branch near Iruka. "Don't you dare insult my baby brother! You don't know what the hell you are talking about."

Iruka finally let his hatred of me for both of us to see. "Here is a history lesson you will listen to you damned monster! We often told you that the Fourth Hokage killed the Kyuubi No Yoko. This is a lie that we tell our students. The truth is Naruto the Kyuubi can't be killed."

"The Fourth knew this and instead he sealed it in a new born baby. That's right Naruto! That is the reason why everyone hates you. You are the Kyuubi and you murdered the Fourth and a whole lot of people some years after you were sealed. You killed my family you damnable demon! At long last I can get my revenge on you for making my life a living hell!"

I looked at him and smiled a very fox like smile. "Iruka you know you just broke the law that the Third Hokage made. You want a piece of me or do you want this scroll?"

He jumped down from the tree branch he was standing and I heard him say something I was expecting. **"I will take both your worthless life and the scroll! With it I will finally be the rank I should always have been! No more teaching ungrateful snot nosed brats for me! I will get decent missions with decent pay, and all I have to do is kill the demon that made me an orphan! I couldn't ask for a better revenge!"**

I began throwing kunai around him. I threw a grand total of six. I guess it pays to keep making these kunai of mine. I got twenty in my belt pouch and all in a single storage seal.

"Both you really are worthless after all, not a single kunai hit me. I guess Mizuki took pity on you when he graded your physicals skills part of the exam. He always did say he considered you his baby brother. You have no idea how much I hate the guy for being proud of you!"

I took a kunai in hand and I had everything ready. I was about to do my take on the old death by a thousand cuts. "Hope you said your farewells Iruka because you are not coming to the village alive."

He smugly asked me, "Yea, right demon brat! You and what army?"

With a few hand signs a hundred shadow clones appeared all around us. I took up my kunai and the clones followed my every action. We all used the seals on us and in a stream of flashing lights we all disappeared.

In a matter of second Iruka was cut so many times he bleed out and looked more like ground meat than having a face. He was dead before his body hit the ground. I calmly walked over to Mizuki who was smiling at me. I sat down feeling a little dizzy.

He took off his headband and placed it on my forehead. "For service to Konoha, for enforcing the law, and even saving my life I hereby say that you Naruto Uzumaki fulfilled all requirements to graduate and be a ninja of our village. Congratulations baby brother. You made me proud as you always have."


	11. Chapter 11

This is a Naruto Fan Fiction only.

I was seated on the rooftop waiting for our instructor for over an hour. At least that was where Mizuki told me my supposed team was going to meet. The only pleasant thing about it was two things actually. The first was the look of shock to hear Iruka was dead, he was killed because he broke a law and became a traitor to the village.

Then they learned I was allowed to graduate because I was the one that killed him. The second thing was that I was on team seven with Sasuke and Sakura. I currently was seated on the rooftop with Sasuke and Sakura I guess she was still climbing up the stairs. We both jumped out the window and ran up the side of the building.

"Sasuke mind checking the back of my head? I think someone threw a rock at me during our team assignment class." She stood up and did as I asked, since it was a perfect excuse to have a private chat.

"Sayomi when are you going to stop pretending to be a guy?" I asked her as soon as she entered my mind. She was smiling till she was once again seating with me.

"Can't do it till I am a chuunin, the council could pretty much force me to marry multiple men before I am one. They pretty much can decide the lives of all of us orphans till we become adults, and chuunin is considered an adult regardless of age."

"Besides you don't want unwanted competition for my affections now do you? If I told show them my real looks you know how these horn dogs would be after me."

I had to admit that I never thought much about it, but she was right. "Well you got those nice tits, slender waist and nice hips. Sakura would be crying if she knew the raven haired guy she tried so hard seducing is a raven haired beauty that is better looking than most waitresses in this village."

She laughed as she leaned close to me. "The bodies of my clan were often thought to be perfect, guess it's good I got my looks from my mom. But be honest with me Naruto why do you want me to drop my disguise. I had it for years, why you ask now lover boy?"

That was when mom decided to say it was maybe because every friend her son had was trying to set him up on blind dates and he was sick of turning them down.

Now Sayomi was angry but at least she didn't shout. That really would make me have a headache. "So your friends are trying to find you a girlfriend? You haven't cheated on me have you lover boy? You know what I would do if you did that?"

I flat out told her I would never hurt her like that. I even joked that I had no desire to find out how a brick feels in the oven.

We both exited my mind and Sasuke told me it was just a pebble that Sakura threw more than likely to keep me from napping during the meeting.

Sakura finally got to where we were and the first thing that came from her mouth was an insult. **"Sasuke what are you doing touching that thing's head!"** I just knew life was going to be hell in this team when I heard that.

I looked at her with a smile and then at the tree branch nearby. "You know Sakura I can just feel the love in your voice. I had no idea you cared so much about us. Teacher just how long do you plan on watching us from up there?" Sakura came by and tried to punch me on my head. I of course evaded her punch like it was nothing, because it was nothing.

"Naruto our team instructor is not even here yet, and I only care about Sasuke! You can die and do this village a favor any time you feel like it! The sooner the better." That was when Kakashi decided to jump down from the tree branch I was looking at.

"That is not a very nice thing to say to a teammate Sakura. I expected better from the daughter of a council member. Mind telling me how you knew I was up on that tree branch Naruto." I looked at him and simply reminded him that I could smell that cheap shaving lotion anywhere on this village, specially when he was that close to us.

I saw him sit down and told Sakura and Sasuke to sit by my side. Sakura sat by Sasuke and Sakuke sat next to me. "Since this is our first team meeting introductions are necessary. I will go first so listen carefully."

"My name is Kakashi Hakate, I like many things, dislike even more and my goals and dreams aren't any of your business. You go next Naruto, then the emo and finally the banshee."

I smiled at the nickname he gave to Sakura, but I would go more for screeching howler monkey personally. "I am Naruto Uzumaki. I like training, learning from my mom and my beautiful, sweet and tender lover Sayomi. I dislike discrimination, slackers, criminals and traitors. My dream is to one day marry Sayomi and have a family, but if that doesn't happen become head of the hunter ninja division."

Sasuke was glaring at me, but somehow I could tell she was also blushing. "I am Sasuke Uchiha. I like training and getting stronger. I hate a certain person and my goal is to avenge my family and find someone special to help me rebuild my clan."

Sakura was last and I truly didn't expect much from her. "My name is Sakura Haruno. I like (stares at Sasuke), I dislike (glares at me), and my dream is (blushes and drools a little while looking at Sasuke)"

I guess I was right on the money on my expectations on her introduction. I decided to get this going a little faster and decided to ask a question that must caught everyone by surprise.

"So Instructor Hakate when do we get our team test?" Sakura called me an idiot and said we just graduated so we already passed all our tests. Sasuke just waited to hear the answer from Kakashi.

"Your team test will be tomorrow at training field seven. Actually Sakura the last test was just to see if you had the skills necessary for the actual test which as I said will happen tomorrow morning. Don't eat anything before the exam or you will throw up."

To me it was pretty obvious that I should eat a healthy breakfast, and get plenty of sleep. By the way Sasuke didn't say a word I got the feeling she got the same idea as I did. I again don't expect much from Sakura.

"So Instructor Hakate, does this mean you are actually going to be on time next morning or should I show up tardy to everything including your funeral like you? You are the one that is supposed to set an example to us."

To say that I did not expect that comment from Sakura is an obvious understatement. I guess she is as upset with me as is the rest of the self serving council. All she was saying was that if he was late she would have to spend more time with me waiting.

"Actually I prefer if you call me by my first name. As for being late I was here long before Naruto and Sasuke even arrived. So in truth the only one that was late was you Sakura. Did those stairs tire you out? Is that why you are in such a bad mood?"

For a second I wanted to high five Dog for saying that, but just for a second.

"See you tomorrow on the field no later than eight in the morning. Now do you have any question? Cause if you don't I think I can smell a bowl of ramen with my name on it." I decided to put my hand up.

"Since you are our instructor Kakashi, does this mean you still haven't found my cat? And does that mean I need to find me a new guard dog? Without one all my things will be burned to ashes by the kind and considerate people of this hell hole, I mean village."

I saw him scratch the back of his head and Sasuke looked at me with a surprised look on his face. "You mean to tell me you are still looking for Torah? You been looking for that cat for years Naruto. She is more than likely dead by now."

I got up and as I was leaving I told them I wouldn't believe that my cat is dead till I had her corpse for me to bury.

I made it home and I was met by a cat masked ANBU. She for obvious reasons was not happy to either be there or in my presence. "I didn't appreciate the guard dog comment, but be assured that the Hokage has no intention of disregarding your safety."

I walked over to my kitchen and she followed me. I took a glass and served myself some lemonade. I looked at her and offered her one but she was still upset by what she heard me say.

I took a sip and looked at her as seriously as I could. "Maybe Guard Dog was a bit insensitive and could be seen or thought off as me being ungrateful. If that is the case I apologize, but I guess saying prison guard or jailor would also not be to your liking."

"It is no secret that most of this place hate my guts, I can't leave it and they can't stand me being alive, much less living in this village. I think I can count on one hand the number of people that don't wish I die."

I took a sip and began to cook dinner. She just kept looking at me work. "As such I never and I mean never expect warm, kind, or caring actions or words from the people of this a place I know as a hell hole."

She sat down and took a glass, she then served herself a glass and took a glass straw from a glass container on my table. "If that is the case Naruto tell me who provided you with a dwelling? Where did you buy the food you are cooking? Who gave you the furniture and clothes in this place? Not everyone hate you I would say."

I finished cooking and placed a dish of food in front of her and one for myself, and sat down. "My Den in the forest is about a thousand times more comfortable and safer, the things the Hokage so kindly bought for me was as I said burned to ashes. I got most my clothes off the bodies of dead bandits, and rogue ninja. I can sow so I modified them to make these clothes."

"I also built the furniture, and no food store will ever sell me any type of groceries ever. The spices, the vegetable, the fish and even the oil I got in the forest that scares most people. You know the one me and Anko love to spend time in."

I began to eat to let her realize that I was by no means a naïve child. I spoke bluntly and to the point when needed.

"Naruto if what you say is true, why haven't you told anyone? I am sure the Hokage could have done something on your behalf." I saw her begin eating her food. I decided to finish my meal before I answered her question. Everyone deserves a hot home cooked meal.

As I saw her finish I summoned a shadow clone who took all the dishes and utensils to clean them. "The Hokage is one of the people that don't wish for my death, but he has to think on the big picture, not just me. He has to think what is good for everyone in the village, and some sacrifices are not unexpected."

"The Hokage knows everything about my situation. He has known for years. The fact that he has not done anything about it means one of two things. Either he can't do it because it would be used against him, or doing so would cause the village as a whole harm. Sometimes for the greater good some must suffer."


	12. Chapter 12

This is a Naruto Fan Fiction only.

"Alright mom let's talk about what test could Dog come up with? He hates betraying team members and considers traitors to be worse than scum. As far as I know there are two tests that he could use. He could do the free for all battle test or the infamous bell test."

Mom looked at me and smiled that particularly easy to understand smile. "He is not going to pick something as easy as a battle between each other. Everyone of you is educated to be ninja, you could fake your fights. No, he is going to pick the one that has you betray each other to win. There is no mystery it's going to be the Hokage's bell test."

I looked disappointed when she said that, because I truly was. "Darn, and here I was hoping for the battle test. I don't need much motivation to brake that howler monkey's neck. After six years of being in the same class as her. Killing her should also be considered a service to Konoha."

Mom gave me the look, and I knew what was coming. "You might think so son, but in reality it would be considered treason and a reason to execute you. Now stop thinking about killing the girl that bothers your lover. They just got to the field."

I opened my eyes and I saw both my teammates, alright the girl I loved pretending to be a guy and the pink haired howler monkey. If she started throwing her feces at me it might make her look the part, but then again what she usually screams either about me or at me could count as doing that.

"Morning Sasuke, Sakura. Nice day we are having? The sky is clear, the air is fresh and you both and fifteen minutes late. So you both must be well rested." Sakura marched right to where I was standing and grabbed my shirt it seems the howler monkey wanted to do something obvious.

" **Sasuke is late because he was waiting for me! I am late because as a moron like you wouldn't know girls take longer to get ready in the morning!"** I looked at Sasuke asking her if that was true? She just told me no by shaking her head.

"So Kakashi is this going to be every time we meet or just the few initial times? Don't bother staying up there. God I hate the smell of your lousy aftershave. I guess this is why you told us to skip breakfast and boy am I glad I did. That smell could make a pig throw up, Isn't that right Sakura?"

She punched me in the gut, and walked away. I was talking about the horrible smell I guess she thought I called her a pig like she called Into for years.

Kakashi jumped down and looked at me with an almost angry glare. "Actually Naruto I wear it to test which of our little team has any sensor abilities. If you could smell me from up there you are as good as one of the dogs from the Inuzuka Clan."

I watched him walk in front of all three of us. "Let's get started with the test shall we? Your task is a simple one, get a bell from me and you can used any means to get your bell." He reached inside his vest pocket and pulled two bells tied together.

"As you notice there are only two bells. Which means only two of you will pass if you they get a bell. I hate wasting time so the one that doesn't get a bell I'll just kill that failure. I am supposed to send him or her back to the academy but why waste time training someone who failed?"

"You got thirty minutes and that time started to count when I first said the word bells."

The way he disappeared told me we been talking to a shadow clone this entire time.

"Ok, before we end up doing something stupid we need to do something that Sakura is going to hate." That was when she said that I was finally going to admit being gay and that I had a crush on Sasuke too.

I glared at her. "I think he means team work Sakura. Admit it you be pretty happy if he was gay, you probably try to humiliate him till he commits suicide. So Naruto what's the plan?" I guess Sayomi really got to know me in our time we been a couple.

"K.I.S.S. Keep it simple stupid. I make a extra resilient shadow clone. You Sakura stab him repeatedly acting like you lost your mind, you know not that hard for you. Kakashi hates traitors he will try to detain you but also ask you why you did it."

"Sakura you keep him distracted and while he is distracted Sasuke and I will sneak behind him and take his bells. Don't give me that look Sakura, we are all going to pass or we all sit with each other for our execution. We win or lose but we do it together!"

Sakura was looking at Sasuke trying to figure what he would do. "Even if we keep the bells you know we would fail the test anyways. It's back to the academy for all of us. A team of genin is a three person squad. It has been like than since we had squads. You know he wouldn't kill me or Sakura don't you Naruto?"

I nodded my head as Sayomi said that. "Yea, you're the last of the ever precious Uchiha Clan and Sakura's mom is a council member. Sasuke you hide in the underbrush of that tree over there. I will hide in the bushes by that thorn bush. Let's go team time is against us on this one."

As the plan began to be put into action. Something didn't quite feel right. The plan was progressing smoothly, if not a little too smoothly for my liking. Kakashi was not going to be dumb enough to fall for something that simple. The only problem was unlike Sayomi, Sakura spent more time worrying about her looks than her actual physical skills.

Sure enough Kakashi appeared to stop Sakura from killing my clone, but instead of Sakura he was caught by surprise as my clone substituted himself with her. The second he had his hands on Kakashi he send lightning chakra through his hands and shocked him.

Kakashi was not ready for this since I did most of my element manipulation and chakra training within my mother. He was knocked out cold, Sayomi and Sakura both looked quite surprised since this was not in the plan.

I calmly took the bells from the belt pouch and told the others we needed to get away from him. As we ran Sayomi decided to ask me something. "Naruto why didn't you follow the plan?"

Sakura just had to say that I was so stupid, I probably forgot the plan. 'Would someone remind me why I am helping this howler monkey?' mom said because it was the right thing to do.

"It's pretty obvious he listened to our plan and was going to use it against us. So I changed it the last second to catch him by surprise. Don't you think that was a good idea Kakashi?"

Out of the nearby tree he came down and he looked a little odd, he looked mad but was laughing as he walked up to Naruto. "That paralysis technique we learn in ANBU. Guess you still have a few secrets I haven't managed to learn. As for the plan I don't see anything wrong with it, except how did you manage to heal from those cuts and staves Sakura gave you?"

Sakura looked at me and then at Sasuke she had a look of utter surprise on her face. "Sakura anyone that knows how to do the Shadow Clone technique knows this fact, if you give a hard enough hit a shadow clone will disappear. The one you were pretending to mutilate was the real Naruto."

"He just risked his life to try and get you and Sasuke to pass this exam. Mind telling me why Naruto?" I tossed both bells one to Sayomi and the other to Sakura. Sakura looked a little confused as I walked up to Kakashi.

"I remember a friend once told me something, kind of stuck with me. A person who abandons a mission is scum, but a person that abandons teammates is worse than scum. Mom had a suspicion this was a teamwork test, and I don't abandon teammates. Even if they hate me enough to wish for my death every single day."

I looked at him and tried to remain serious, but the way he was smiling made it a bit hard for me to do that. "So we can work together, watch out for each other and put our differences aside if needed. So what's the verdict do we pass? Or do I spend anorther year with Mizuki?"

He looked at Sayomi in her disguised form and Sakura. He then turned around and threw me a bell from his best pocket. "As I see it each one of you got a bell. As far as I am concerned you each pass now how about we go get our first mission!"

They both looked so excited as we walked towards the Hokage Building. I would be excited too had my mother not taught me about mission ranks. They must be thinking that they are going to rescue people, stop bandits from attacking a caravan, or even protect a member of the royal family. I knew better than expect something like that.

We walked into the office to see the smiling face of the Hokage. "Well sir Team Seven ready for service Lord Hokage, Do you have a mission for us?" I walked over to pick a nice book about medical techniques, forensic medical techniques to be more specific.

I picked it up and began reading the intro. It was a nicely written book by Tsunade Senju. The Hokage was doing his fake look through the pile of mission scrolls by the sounds he was making.

I wanted to tell him to quit wasting my time and give us our D rank chore. I didn't do that for several reasons. First this book really was well written, second it would be disrespectful to the Hokage and mom raised me better than to do that, and lastly I just didn't have the heart to crush her hopes as she waited to get our first mission.

He finally got a scroll and began to nod his head. "I got the perfect mission for you. It seems a citizen is fighting against a relentless enemy which threatens to destroy her most price possessions. Your mission Team Seven is to eliminate that enemy and do so while safeguarding the clients treasure."

I just asked if I could borrow the book, the Hokage told me I could keep it. Call it an early birthday present.

It was exactly what I figured it was going to be. The client an old widow that lived in the village, the relentless enemy was weeds, and her priced possessions a bunch of rose bushes. I guess the Hokage had a taste for the dramatic.

I sent three shadow clones to do my share of the gardening so I could keep reading thus fascinating book. I had no idea you could learn so much from a dead body. I guess it makes sense why hunter ninja always burn the remains after they cut off their target's head as proof.

Kakashi looked at Sasuke and Sakura knee deep in weeds and then walked to were I was still reading. "I think you could help them, unless that book is just so good that you can't put it down."

I just looked at my teammates and at my shadow clones before I decided to tell Kakashi what I thought about the book. "I happen to also remember how a friend of mine told me her Captain would not stop reading a smut filled orange book. I am just reading on things I might need to know for later missions, but yes it really is a good book."

"Cat should really learn to keep this that happen in our squad to herself. She was just there to make sure you are safe, not chat with you." Was it my imagination or was Kakashi actually upset that Cat chats with me more than me calling Hus beloved book series smut?

I looked at him and put the book back in my belt pouch. It's amazing what you can do with seals. My belt pouch could practically carry a house full of furniture.

"It wasn't Cat that told me it was Kiba's mom. She talks with me every once in a while. Just about every time I whipped the sparing area with her son. Which if you can tell happenned often. I don't even know why Kiba hates me so much?"

Kakashi looked at my teammates and they were doing the same thing my shadow clones were doing. "These missions are so that a team can get used to working together under safe conditions. It's not done to simply annoy new academy graduates you know."

I looked up and knew what he was trying to say. "I don't know about Sakura's abilities, but I know me and Sasuke are ready for anything below an S rank. I killed bandit camps as stress relief. I have the crazy notion to tell the Hokage let me send a few dozen shadow clones and they can do the chores."

"Then we could probably stop wasting our time and for the love of god get Sakura some actual training." Kakashi smiled as I finished talking and looked at me.

"Then why didn't you tell him that?" I said it would be disrespectful to him if I said something that might sound like I knew how to do the training of my squad better than him.

"Well since you mentioned it, I do think I like that idea more than doing this. You have to limit the number of missions to five per day though. Don't want to ruin the fun for the other squads now do we?"


	13. Chapter 13

This is a Naruto Fan Fiction only.

I truly expected our Lord Hokage to tell us my idea was beyond stupid, or at the very least naïve. Kakashi told him exactly what I told him. That Sakura's current training would be detrimental for the team and potentially lethal to her.

After Kakashi made the suggestion of sending shadow clones to complete the D rank missions. What ever the clones learned doing these missions would be learned by the one that made the clones. So far only Naruto and Sasuke knew the technique and could do it.

If Sakura learned proper chakra control then she could learn to use the shadow clone technique, but they needed time to train her. He accepted to everything Kakashi said. Five missions per day and all done by shadow clones. He did add one condition that the one with the best chakra control be in charge of her training.

This is how I found myself in my current predicament. I looked at Sakura fall down from the tree once again. "I should have kept my big fat mouth shut. I have the biggest reserve of chakra. How in the blasted hell did I turn out to have the best control? Kakashi was an ANBU Captain for goodness sake!"

Sakura made me realize that teaching was definitely something I would never consider for a potential profession if my students were anything like her.

She was loud, unwilling to listen, disrespectful, and hated anything that was either too hard or could cause any injury to her looks or the condition of her skin. The chakra control exercise was the basics of the basics.

It involved sending chakra to the bottoms of her feet. Using this chakra to walk on the surface of the tree. This required constant use of chakra and constant regulation on the amount and strength. Too much chakra and you get blown off the tree, but to little and you fall down.

I was kind enough to place a few dozen pillows under her but that was an empty and useless gesture. She either didn't appreciate it or she had the worse luck in the world. Every time she fell down she missed the pile of pillows every single time.

It took me an entire month to get her to actually do it correctly. The only way I got her to listen was to used the transformation technique and transform into a copy of Sasuke wearing nothing but a pair of speedos swimming briefs and some sandals.

I had to apologize to Sayomi profusely but she understood that it was for a good cause. The good news was that thanks to my clones and several of Sayomi's doing missions I got my family cat back, or should I say they rescued her from her tormentor. It turns out the ruler of fire country has a wife, and this wife had two qualities that were pretty unique.

She loved anything cute, and so she picked up Torah when she was out for her morning exercise and the lady has no control what so ever on the strength of her grip. I kid you not, one hug from this lady will send an Akamichi Clan member to the ER.

I guess I should thank Choji when I see him for substituting with my shadow clone. The lady in question tried to hug my clone thinking I was going to return Torah. I got back the memories when she punched him as he told her it was actually my cat. Like I said no control of her strength.

I decided to take Sakura's training to the next level. "Sakura for the next one it's very much like before you use chakra on your feet, but instead of walking on the tree you will walk on this river like I am doing." Always teach with an actual example.

"Unlike the tree here the water moves, and the amount of chakra must be constantly modified and regulated. This is a pretty shallow river, but the deeper it is the more difficult it is to walk on. Now remember you must keep enough chakra distributed on the bottom of your feet."

I helped get out of the water each time she fell until she demanded something I expected from her, I honestly expected her to complain a lot sooner.

"So mind telling me how is this beneficial to me as a ninja? Or are you just doing this to humiliate me!"

I was already walking on the river water as easily as if it was the ground. "It has several uses in fact. The first being that it provides a new way to reach an objective during a mission. Not many people would believe we can walk on water after all."

"Catching an enemy by surprise could mean the difference between life and death. Secondly if you put everything you practices together you will learn to quiet the sound of your footsteps, and thus be more difficult to track. Using the same chakra technique you could walk on snow or sand without leaving a footprint."

"The most obvious use is to improve the control of your chakra. Sasuke, the members of the shogi club and myself been practicing chakra control exercises since we started going to the academy which means we have better control of our chakra than you."

She glared at me from where she was seated. "Then why you never invite me or Ino to your little study club?" I walked up to her and smiled as I looked directly into her eyes. I told her to be honest with herself. She would never accept to join the shogi club, just because I was a member of it.

It took us a grand total of three months of training till Sakura summoned her first shadow clone. She could at most summon two. This to me it meant that she could go right back to being Kakashi's pain in the rear.

"Ok Kakashi I got her to decent control of her chakra. You can handle the rest from this point on. I will see if Sasuke's training hasn't suffered by me spending so much with the teammate that never appreciated my help."

I walked over to Sayomi as I heard Sakura scream good riddance. "I am doing alright Naruto. I just missed training together and no I am not happy you transformed into that version of me! I understand that it was necessary but that doesn't mean I am not angry about it!"

"Honestly Sasuke do you think I was happy training a girl that the kindest name she ever called was to call me that thing? I never realized how much fun it was to train with my club and you till I had to teach her."

We both sat down and looked at the sky. "I guess it wasn't all bad. You got your cat back, Sakura should be easier to train with her shadow clones. When do you think we will get a better rank mission? We been doing D ranks for three solid months."

I was happy to spend any time with her, even if she was in her male disguise. "I guess you are right. I should try to focus on the positive side of things. But you are wrong if you think we did only D rank missions. My clones cleared a few C Rank, B, rank and a couple of A rank missions."

She came close enough to me that I could see the tick mark on her forehead. "And why are my clones only doing D rank missions?" I just told her I did what she suggested. The clones asked for higher ranked missions.

"Ibiki was pretty upset I beat his old assassination speed record, but I know he doesn't hold grudges. In fact I imagine he is secretly pretty happy someone tried and beat his record.

She asked me what was the record? I told her eliminate ten targets under a minute. "With my current techniques I can eliminate a bandit camp under ten seconds. So my clones had no difficulty whatsoever."

As we finished the last day of training for Sakura. We all walked into the Hokage's office. We expected to find him seated behind his desk, I expected that and the regular ANBU protection team watching over his security from the shadows. Instead we found him talking to a fat, old, bald man who by the smell coming off him been drinking. I mean really drinking.

As we walked towards the desk the Hokage seemed to be glad to see us, I figured with the current client standing so close to him who wouldn't want an excuse to put a little distance between him and the drunk?

"Excellent timing Team Seven! This man is Tazuna and he is the master builder from Wave. He came here to make a contract with some of our merchants to provide building materials, but he needs an escort back to his home and probably help with a bandit problem his construction site been having."

I was Tazuna walk towards a place he could take a better look at us. "Lord Hokage you aren't telling me this is the lot that will help me! We got a blonde brat I wouldn't hire to scrub toilets, a pinkette who is the single most flat chested weak girl I ever seen, a guy who loves to suck on lemons and a scarecrow that would fail at his job of scaring anything at all."

I didn't like him from the smell, him insulting Sayomi even if she was looking like a guy that was the last straw. "Lord Hokage I gather he has not actually signed the proper paperwork. Nobody insults my team and gets away with it! How about I kill him, dispose of the body and then I come back to clear the stench of booze from your office? I might even do it for free!"

I loved the look on Tazuna's face as I said that while holding a kunai right at his neck. "Unfortunately he has signed the proper paperwork, so I regret to tell you that you can't kill a client of the village. It could give the village a bad reputation."

I looked at him while I pulled my kunai back. "Sure we can, there is bandits sometimes in the area around here. I can kill him and make it look like bandits did it."

I hear Kakashi clear his throat and walk towards me. He placed a hand on my shoulder. "Sorry Naruto, I know you haven't gotten to kill anyone in a while, but you can't kill our client. Tazuna you might want to apologize if you value your life at all. He might try to do as he said and not do as good a job of keeping you safe otherwise."

Tazuna looked at me and I could tell he knew I was not kidding. "I was just testing to see if they had any backbone. I hate to cause people younger than me to die, just because they think they are invincible. Most kids their age do and end up finding out the truth the hard way. Sorry to hurt your feeling kids."

Kakashi decided tell him something that made me smile. "These may look like kids, but they are highly trained ninja. Naruto alone could make your town a graveyard in less than half a day. Now I would suggest you clean up and meet us in thirty minutes by the south gate. Team Seven pack for seven days, and no Naruto you are coming with us."

I went home and began packing. Torah was happy to see me home. She jumped up and began rubbing herself against me while purring. "Glad you are home too Torah, I have some bad news though. I have to leave on a week long mission. I left you enough food and that shadow clone summon seal to use. I am sorry girl, hey I am going to a fishing town I will buy you some fresh fish to make it up to you."

'Sure Naruto, I take care of this place but please try to come back alive. This village might celebrate your death, but me and Sayomi would definitely be very sad if you died.'

I finished packing and after giving my caring cat a kiss on her head I left towards the meeting point. Tazuna was carrying a gourd of what smells to me to be fire whiskey. Great he is drinking again and this time it's the stuff me, Ibiki and Anko like to drink to relax after a long day.

"Since we are all here Diamond formation I will take the head, Sakura to the right, Sasuke to the left and you guard the back Naruto. We will rotate the positions every hour. Be sure to say something if you spot something suspicious."


	14. Chapter 14

This is a Naruto Fan Fiction only.

As we walked I decided to have a somewhat casual conversation with Kakashi, much to Sakura's discomfort, but I really didn't care either way.

"Don't you find it strange Kakashi we haven't had any major rain in more than a month and the bushes and trees are green as always this time of the year. The sky is so clear I can practically see Mars, it is showing quite bright don't you think so?"

Kakashi finally got what I was saying and played along. "Why yes Naruto nature is amazing, and you are right Mars is quite bright today. Some think we might be headed towards a battle, but I never put much stock in fortune telling."

I quickly used hand language to tell him I was going to talk to our enemy ready to ambush, I also said I would leave a shadow clone to keep talking about nonsense to distract our attackers, he nodded his head.

I used a bit of chakra and decided to infiltrate the puddle genjutsu where two men wearing gauntlets and had two arms linked with a chain were waiting for my team.

"I told you it hasn't rained in over a month. This genjutsu is a really dumb idea." His brother was quite annoyed and told him since he didn't offer a better alternative he could shut up before the team guarding their target notice them.

"I personally agree with your brother, the way this ambush was planned is really stupid. It's like someone didn't spend enough time to think things through. Wouldn't a bush or an underground ambush be better than this."

The first brother agreed with me without realizing I was not supposed to be there at all. "Exactly, glad somebody else thinks so. We didn't need to rush our planning of this ambush at all. So what that Gato wants the drunken bridge builder. We could have left a poisoned bottle of booze and get the job done better than this."

"Hey wait a minute who are you? It was supposed to be just my brother and me under this genjutsu." I smiled at them and decided to point the obvious.

"Who me? I am one of the people guarding the drunk that is your target. Now do you two want to resolve this peacefully or do I have to go feral on you! If I could sneak under here I am no unskilled brat. So what will it be? Talk it out or die?"

The idiot of the two brothers was ready to fight by the looks of it, but his brother stopped him. "Look we are just doing our job, it was nothing personal. We weren't even going to harm your team at all. We were just going to kill the drunker and go. I swear!"

The genjutsu was dispelled and I knew he was telling the truth. "Look guys you are being used and swindled. Did you get any up front payment from this Gato guy? No, you were told you be paid after the drunk bridge builder was dead didn't you?"

I saw them looked quite angry as they realized I was telling the truth. *So do me a favor? Mind telling your team leader I need to have a friendly chat with him? I need to deal with a certain drunken liar first."

They were only too happy to do me that favor.

They both left in what I call friendly terms. The guy that agreed with me practically left as a friend after a chat. I turned around and I walked towards Tazuna with a kunai and really wanting to gut him like a fish.

"Now Tazuna, would you kindly tell me why did you lie to our Hokage?"

Tazuna, Sakura and Sayomi were both sweating as I was looking at him.

"Alright, I am sorry that I lied. My town is under the thumb of a crime boss. I am making a bridge to allow commerce to flow to my town. This crook controls all transport into my town. We are spending everything on the bridge. We had to lie, cause if I told the truth the mission would be higher rank and we can't afford that."

I understood that very well, but part of me wanted to return to Konoha and tell the truth to the Hokage before this supposed mission continued. In the end I decided to put it up for a vote and we should decide how to proceed as a team.

"Mission parameters have changed and we could by all rights go back to the village and let our Lord Hokage decide, but I would like to ask you do we go back or do we continue this mission? I can understand that this was the act of a desperate man. In my opinion we go finish this mission, but Tazuna has to pay the right amount for this mission, once his village economy recovers."

Sayomi smiled a little but quickly hid it behind the emo mask she wears, "For once we agree dope. I wanted a tougher mission anyways. So as far as I am concern this fits me like a glove. I'm in all the way. Hope this enemy is tough, god I love a challenge."

We both looked at Sakura and she did as expected. "As long as Sasuke wants to continue this mission I will agree too."

We all looked at Kakashi and he was smiling or so we thought. We couldn't see his smile thanks to that facial mask he wears. "Ok we continue but we send a reinforcement request to Konoha and tell the Hokage why. I already wrote a scroll when you three were deciding what to do. As your jounin instructor you made me very proud with your decision."

He summoned one of his dogs and we all knew who it was. "Paku take this scroll to the Hokage and to him only. You know where we are headed in case he sends a reply."

Kakashi put the scroll in a carrying pouch on him and he took off faster than we could track.

"Will you stop crying Tazuna, we got a long way to Wave and you getting dehydrated is not going to help matters any." For a second there I feared he was going to have a nervous breakdown.

He jumped up and hugged each of us saying thank you over and over again. Boy am I happy the demon brothers had gone to deliver my message to their leader, cause this was embarrassing.

It turns out there really were bandits nearby and wouldn't you know it, Tazuna just had to piss right next to a bandit ambush. Let's just say even I could feel some level of sympathy towards my usual prey.

The were so upset that they tried to rush Tazuna and kill him. I substituted myself with him and saved him from the wrath of the understandably upset and pissed bandits. I killed them in one use of my variation to a technique Neji taught me. I had to be sure to thank him once I got back.

"Naruto why did you save Tazuna? I sort of understand wanting to complete the mission but that was excessive. You know anyone else in our team could have done that." Sakura, Kakashi and Tazuna were fast asleep in the makeshift tents. I was on guard duty with Sayomi.

In a way I am happy to be able to spend any alone time with her, but deep down I am still bothered by her pretending to be a guy. I can't shake the feeling that if this keeps up she might develop interest in girls and that most definitely be a bad thing for me.

"Sasuke I merely saw that the drunk managed to make a bad situation even worse. Honestly I had no time to think things through. You want to tell the Hokage that our client is dead cause he managed to make a bunch of bandits go feral because he pissed on them?"

She quickly said that she wouldn't want to report such a failure. "I guess you are right, Naruto. I just think that we should confiscate the rest of his liquor, and no I don't mean you can have some!"

Tazuna came over to me smiling as he did. He placed an hand on my shoulder. "Say Naruto aren't you a bit young to drink fire whiskey?"

I brushed his hand off my shoulder and looked at him. "Old enough to kill, Old enough to drink. I drink fire whiskey for the flavor. It has a nice spicy, nutty taste to it. Now if I wanted to really get drunk, Inferno Dragon Sake. There is just no substitute for it. Not many stores carry it since it does tend to kill people."

Tazuna was surprised to hear anyone could drink it. The liquor was mostly used as a liquid to fuel cremations. One spark and the bottle exploded in such a way it was known to burn down houses, or kill due to liver failure.

We all waked until I saw something strange on the road. A white furred rabbit, that was weird it still had winter fur. **"Everyone hit the floor!"** As I said that a big sword came flying and I had to act fast or the blade would kill the rabbit too.

I caught the bunny and shielded her with my body. As the blade came to get stuck in a nearby tree I looked at the bunny looking rather afraid. I began to pet it to relax her. "There, there no need to be afraid. Nothing bad happened to you. I looked at the man and immediately knew who he was. He was in the current bingo book.

"One hell of an entrance Zabuza Momochi. You sure have a flare for the dramatic, but was it really necessary? I did tell the demon brothers I needed to talk with you. I however need to ask you daughter who is up on that tree over there to come and get her bunny. No need to scare it anymore is there?"

He jumped down and held his sword in hand. "What makes you think that rabbit is a pet? Or that it belongs to my daughter?" I told him the rabbit had the smell of a woman's perfume on the fur.

A masked kunoichi jumped down and walked towards me. I placed her bunny in her open hand along with some carrots. "She looks hungry. Don't worry I didn't hurt your bunny."

She left and I looked at Zabuza, "So what do you want to discuss other than pet care?"

I looked at him my teammates were sweating heavily due to the killer intent he was sending to the surrounding area, me it didn't matter one bit. I felt much worse when mom was angry when I did something she didn't approve off.

"You know Zabuza it just strange to me. If this guy is such a successful crime boss, why doesn't he buy explosives and with a few raft place them on the bridge? Explosives aren't that expensive or hard to find. Hell you could probably make them yourself, and that includes the rafts."

Zabuza was nodding his head in agreement. "That is interesting, but what is your point?"

I walked closer to him. "Maybe he isn't as successful as he pretends to be. Maybe the reason he doesn't blow up the bridge is because he can't afford it. He's got his shipping company as the only source of income, if they can send goods without him he is bankrupt."

"I think that if I am right he plans to invite you over to dinner after you succeed. He will offer you a drink and he will have poisoned your drink and food. He can't afford explosives, what makes you think he can afford you?"

Even Tazuna could see that my words were indeed striking home, if his smile was any indication.

"Let's say for argument sake you are correct. What exactly do you propose? If we don't do as asked he might try to betray my friends even sooner. I don't know you, but the way you saved my baby girl's pet at least let me know you are decent."

I looked at the both and couldn't help but to smile. "Here is what I propose. You pretend to be injured for a solid week. In that time my teammates and occasionally a shadow clone will pretend to train. In reality I will sneak around town and gather evidence of Cato's finances. If they are as bad as I figured his own thugs will kill him."

"Then I help Tazuna finish the bridge, you of course are free to help us at this point. Once the mission is over I will invite you and your friends to join Konoha. It gets you respectable employment, better living conditions and off the bingo book. No more looking over your shoulder for a hunter. What do you Zabuza?"

He smiled and put his sword back on his back. "Why should I believe a word from a total stranger? How do I know you are honest about this?"

I placed a hand on my chest and closed my eyes. "I swear on the honor of my mother Kushina Uzumaki that all I said was honest and would never betray a promise, or let the shinigami eat my soul right now!"

Zabuza walked over to me and did something I didn't expect. He hugged me. "I can't believe the son of my dearest friend is alive. I was told you died with your mother. Haku no need to be shy! This is the son of your godmother. Now knowing this of course I will help you out!"


	15. Chapter 15

This is a Naruto Fan Fiction only.

We were told we needed to board a small boat to reach the town. The only good thing about the boat ride was that it allowed us to view the construction of the bridge. I noticed something odd.

"Tazuna is this bridge only temporary or do you plan to expand on it at a later date?" I saw the look of surprise and he nodded his head in agreement.

"Yes, this bridge is just the foundation of the finished bridge. We need this in order to bring more materials which are too heavy for our boats to handle, and the shipping boats that can, can't travel in our waters they are not wide enough for them to maneuver."

I knew he was lying and he knew why I asked. The supposed criminal boss controls shipping so it was not out of the question that he had some sort of listening device on it.

ANBU back in my village had inter squad communications and even long range listening devices. A small microphone and a tape recorded was not that hard to find. Even a security camera was an option.

We both seem to understand that and we hoped that by saying such words our enemy would fall in a false sense of security since he would have longer time to try and end our client's life.

As we made it off the boat and we walked towards his home. I saw the vast poverty there in plain sight and it was something I could very well understand and sympathize with.

Tazuna walked over to the from door to what look to be a modest two floor home. "This is my place, it's not exactly extravagant but it's home to me, my daughter and my grandson. Your team is welcome to stay with us. You might not believe it but my daughter is a magnificent cook. Wait till you taste her food."

As soon as we entered we heard someone welcome him and out of nowhere I got hugged by a woman I never met before. She thanked me for saving her father. I tried very hard to tell her that was a team effort, but it wasn't easy to do with my face planted between her breasts.

As soon as she calmed down she let me go. "As I was trying to say it was a team effort, and we will be guarding your father while he continues his construction." Sakura didn't care at all and Sayomi in her Sasuke disguise kept glaring with such utter look of jealousy that her sharingan was unintentionally turning on and off.

She told us we could use the two spare bedrooms and she was just finished cooking dinner. Tazuna decided to introduce her. "This lovely young Lady is my daughter Tsunami. Which reminds me were is my grandson?"

Tsunami smiled and told us to sit down on the chairs of the table she was pointing at. "I honestly don't know, I guess he is upstairs reading about different fish, and fishing techniques. My late husband was quite the fisherman and I guess my son just took after him."

As she began to place the food on the table, I did as my mother raised me to do and I offered to help her. She was very happy to accept my offer. It seems she had to do all the housework by herself.

I had to admit the rice dish was very tasty, and she managed to make quite tasty without using many ingredients. It must be due to the condition of the village. Prices for basic necessities must be going through the proverbial roof.

As I was grabbing my glass of juice I heard as if someone was running down a hall upstairs, and then down the stairs. I was greeted with a boy with black hair, wearing a T-shirt and some short pants. The T-shirt had the picture of a fish on it.

" **You are all idiots! You think you can come to my town and save us, but you will die! Gato is invincible! You can't help us since you all lived cushy and comfortable lives! You don't know anything about real pain! You know nothing about suffering like we do!"**

I waited for the kid to finish speaking till I heard Tsunami apologize to us for what her son said. "Inari you can't talk to these people like that. They kept your dad safe and escorted him home."

I stood up and tried very hard to control my temper, but it wasn't easy to do after what the kid named Inari screamed at us.

"You got to say your things now let me ask you somethings and you can tell me your answer after you hear my questions."

He looked at me like he didn't care either way, so I decided to ask him my questions.

"I don't know pain and suffering then let me ask you have you been beaten, staved, poisoned, starved, burned and had your bones broken? Does the people of your town wish every day that you die? Do the people of your village refuse to sell you anything and treat you like you carry an incurable disease or you are a piece of garbage not even human? Well kid answer my questions."

The kid just told me something I was expecting. "No, but so what! Nobody lived like that so what's the point?"

I got up from my seat and took my dishes and utensils to the sink and washed them. I walked back to the table and thanked Tsunami for a very delicious meal. I began walking towards the living room when she asked me something that made me stop on my tracks.

"Naruto why did you ask my son those questions? Nobody could possibly live the way you described. It sounds more like the stuff of nightmares and no town would do that to a little boy or girl."

I turned around and looked at Inari who was still looking at me like I just said nonsense. "Sorry to tell you this Tsunami but there is someone who lives like I said in those questions. In fact I only asked describing how I am treated back in my village. Now don't you worry about me finding a place to sleep. But right now I need to blow off some steam so please excuse me."

I walked out the front door and decided to find a nice big tree. I walked up on it till I reached a tree branch and decided to go to sleep.

Early in the morning I woke up to find Sayomi trying to wake me up. "Naruto why did you have to sleep out here? There was a perfectly comfortable bed inside their house for you to sleep in."

I looked at her and smiled. "I didn't want to make everyone else uncomfortable and I didn't want to hear her son call me a liar and storm off. We are going to be working and living here for something little over a month. The last thing we need is to cause Tazuna any more problems."

"As it is I will send a shadow clone to train with you and Sakura. I will be going undercover as a potential sword for hire. I need to find those financial records so that I can expose Gato for the fraud he is."

I felt a presence standing on the ground looking at me and Sayomi in her Sasuke disguise. I looked at her and began shaking my head at the notion. "Don't tell me the kid is the one standing down there looking at me, cause he asked you to help him find me so he could apologize."

She crossed her arms and said that in fact Inari felt sorry after Kakashi told them how hard my life was and indeed he asked her for her help in finding me. "I really need to remind Kakashi to learn to keep secrets better. I have too many things to do than to waste time hearing an apology offered out of perceived obligation."

She touched my shoulder and smiled. "Don't do it for him then, do it for me. Talk with him before you go and pretend to be a thug. Be the man I fell in love with, and remember one day you will have kids with me."

I couldn't deny her anything when she smiled and was so sweet to me. I was henpecked and I was not even married yet. I could hear my mother as I thought this walking down the tree.

"Sasuke told me you wanted to talk with me Inari. What do you want to talk about?" turns out he lied to Sayomi and he didn't mean a word of his supposed request to find me to apologize.

"That white haired freak made all that up to back up your bullshit lie! There is no way that you or anyone has a harder life than mine. Gato murdered my father and my mother had to raise me by herself. No one has lived the hell I endured!"

I looked at him and saw that he really believed what he was saying. "How about a bet? The winner gets to ask one request, but the loser has to do it or be shamed for life. You man enough to make a bet like that?"

Being the sheltered brat he was he accepted to make such a bet with me. "Here us what you will do, every time your mother goes to get anything from the market you will go with her."

"You look at how the people live, and help your mother. If they all live better than you, you win. If you have a better life than them I win. I will know if you go or don't so if you stay home you forfeit the bet and lose."

He accepted because his blasted ego would never let him back out of it. He was that determined to prove I was a liar.

I walked towards town and with a few hand signs I began to change. In a matter of second I looked twice my age, had scars on my face and black shaggy hair. If you didn't know it was me I looked like a bloodthirsty, greedy bandit.

I walked into the bar and ordered the cheapest booze they had. "Hey friend you new in town? Why order that swill and not the good stuff?" I looked at him and he became quiet in a second.

"My boss got hacked up by those lousy ninja. I don't have a job, and barely made it out of there with my neck. You think I got the coin to pay for the good stuff or that I be drinking this horse piss if I could afford better!"

He laughed and decided to give me a glass from his bottle. "Man, sorry to hear that. The name is Renji and you what do I call you?" I took the glass and gulped the drink like it was water.

"You can call me Shinji. Now you tell me Renji anyone in this dump need to hire a good swordsman or do I need to look for work else where?" He asked me if I was adverse in killing some towns people.

I laughed my most sadistic laugh and told him I would kill my own mother for the right price. He apparently found that funny. "Then you are a man after my own black heart. Sure I got the perfect job for you. Come on I will take you to my boss, just remember don't kill him cause he is the chicken that lays them golden eggs."

As we walked out of the bar we headed to what looked like to be a shipping business. It was supposed to make us feel the owner was doing great, and had many clients but as I walked towards the office I read some of the shipping labels.

They had names of businesses that had gone out of business years ago. It took a real idiot not to notice these companies didn't exist anymore. Some of the printed addresses sounded fake.

As we entered the office I got my first look of the supposedly invincible crime boss. He was a short, balding fat man. I could even say he looked more like a toad than a man. "Renji who is the guy you brought with you?" Renji looked at him and smiled.

"This is Shinji an out of work swordsman who would kill his own mother for the right price. Trust me boss this guy is worth every coin. I brought him over since you said we needed people that weren't afraid to get their hands bloody."

He walked over to me and was smiling a rather creepy smile. "What Renji said is true, finding reliable people to do wet work is tough. The name is Gato but to you and the rest of my thugs I am your master! I pay after the job is finished. It keeps wannabes way from here but I pay well for good work!"

I looked at him with as much killer intent as I could project at him. "When do I get to killing people? I am itching for a blood bath!" Gato laughed as he heard me say that.

"Renji you found yourself a real prize it seems. Don't you worry Shinji, should my hired ninja fail at their jobs you are going to be really happy soon enough. For now I just need you to get some dead beats to pay up their loan payments, but I will give you that list tomorrow. For now get to know the men you will work with."


	16. Chapter 16

This is a Naruto Fan Fiction only.

I began working on my end and began to find many interesting things about Gato. He started out as a lone shark to launder money for some other group. As long as he was in business with said mysterious group he was financially stable. The problem began when apparently he got cold feet.

He left the group and that was when he opened his only legitimate business, his shipping company. Bad thing tend to happen to his ships or the cargo it seems. I could only speculate but I imagine the group he left had a hand in it.

The final nail on his proverbial coffin was Tazuna. He proposed to the local lord that building a bridge would increase the flow in business and it was much safer than shipping. That was when Gato returned to his criminal ways.

He first began to extort money from the local businesses, this had the obvious result that they either went under or left the town. Little by little Gato began a long process of ruining the economy of the town. That was not enough for him, Tazuna used his own family wealth to start building the bridge.

When the bridge first started Gato killed the husband of Tazuna's daughter. I heard from hardened criminals as even they thought it was gruesome the way Gato killed the poor fisherman. In the way they described his execution and how he was left for all to see, it would have been more merciful to still his throat.

He was crucified after he was practically mutilated. Gato then dosed the cross with gasoline and burned him alive while a crown watched. I could see Inari's and Tsunami's face as they saw him burn up. That's right, I learned Gato forced Tazuna, his daughter, and grandson to watch.

I found out most of this from men that as Gato told me I should get to know. I swear these thugs love gossip even more than Ino and Sakura combined.

The next morning I met him he has quite the list of people that supposed to owe him money. "Now Shinji these dead beats don't owe me as much but money is money. On this scroll are the names of ten people. If they refuse to pay I have no further use for them. You have my complete permission to have fun killing them, just dispose of the bodies."

I took the scroll off his hand and decided to get to it. 'This feels more like a loyalty test than anything else. There must be reason for him wanting to pressure these people.'

I was right about him wanting to get rid off these people. They were all ex employees that he fired without paying their salaries. Nine families gave me documents showing that he fired their relatives when they asked for their salaries.

I instructed them how to leave town without getting noticed, and told them to wait a month to return. The situation would be taken care off in about a month.

The last person I had to meet shocked even me. It was this blonde haired, glasses wearing bombshell by the name of Silvi. "Silvi I know you worked for Gato mind telling me what you did for him?" With a body like that I expected her to tell me stripper.

I couldn't believe it when she said she was the former accountant for Gato. "I used to be the personal accountant for that pervert! He fired me just because I wouldn't sleep with him."

"Now Silvi I have to ask you something a bit unexpected, do you have any idea where Gato keeps his financial record?" She laughed so hard she fell off her chair.

"You remember that ugly portrait on the first floor right? Well if you punch in a code it opens to his personal vault. All his records and money are there. The keypad is on the right side of the frame and if you promise me to clean him out I will gladly tell you the code. So do we have a deal? You will rip him off?"

I smiled at her and told her that I would do it even better than he did his employees. She took a piece of paper from her rather ample bosom. I read the paper as she told me the code.

"I know this is going to be hard for you to believe, but the code is 1-2-3-4-5." She was right even as I heard her and read it on the paper. Gato wrote the code on the piece of paper.

I looked at her and was shacking my head in utter surprise. "That is the single dumbest code ever made, you have to be a complete brain dead moron to have to write it so he wouldn't forget it!"

Like I did with the other nine I told her how to get out of town without getting noticed, and with her looks it was decided that I would send a pair of shadow clones as back up.

Late that night I sneaked into the shipping building and sure enough the code still worked. I put everything in the vault in two scrolls. The accounting books pretty much said the whole story. If Gato didn't stop the construction of the bridge he would end up penniless, and he owed a massive amount to a person that was just called Pain.

As far as money let's just say I remembered what I got paid for all my D rank missions, and I was filthy stinking rich compared to what he had in the vault.

You can pretty much imagine his reaction to find both Renji and myself gone, presumably dead if the bloody clothes found were any indication. I added a nice incentive for Gato to get desperate by leaving also a not that said pay up or you are next.

Me and Haku were laughing our heads off when we saw his reaction through a window. "Well I got to thank you for your help Haku, I never expected it truth be told." She smiled as we both left the area.

"Think nothing off it, consider it my way of thanking you for being so sweet with Ms. Bunbuns. That is the name of my cute pet rabbit in case you haven't figured that out."

I went towards the bridge and Haku left to take a copy of the records we found to her father. Man I wish I could be there to see his reaction when he reads those books. At the very least he will find out I was not only right, but I saved all their lives by what was written in his personal journal.

As I got to the bridge my shadow clone dispelled and I got to learn everything that happened in my absence. It seems Sakura was as lazy as ever, and the speedo wearing Sasuke disguise was the only way I could get her to train at all. I felt like I needed a shower as soon as I saw everything that happened.

I saw Tazuna having a discussion with several of his construction workers. By discussion I mean they were yelling at each other so loud I was not surprised if the entire bridge building crew heard what they were saying.

" **Look Tazuna you might not care about your life, or the lives of your family. I am getting way from this suicide plan you call a bridge! You can't pay me enough to risk leaving a my wife a widow and my son without a father!"**

I saw his name tag and remembered he was on the financial records as one of the men Gato promised to reward if they got the rest of the construction crew to abandon Tazuna and the bridge.

I hated selfish bastards that tried to get rich all the while pretending they cared about everyone else.

"Tazuna you might want to read this fascinating book I found. I think it will make this discussion more easy to understand." He saw the look I was giving the crew member that had just screamed that and looked were I was pointing. The second he did he too glared at the traitor.

"You want to leave, be my guest. I will however have to tell your coworkers somethings to let them understand why you are leaving."

I walked in the center of the part that was already completed and jumps on top of the arm of one of the construction cranes.

" **Your fellow crew mates know me rather well. I am going to explain why this guy is making a scene. You see this guy was promised by Gato a small fortune if he got all of you to abandon the construction of this bridge. For the record he is not married and has no kid."**

" **So in short we got a traitor who is lying to you, just because a swindler promised to make him richer than his entire family has ever been. The only thing he had to do is stop the construction of a bridge that would make all your lives better!"**

The lousy traitor tried to make a run for it. The rest of the construction crew caught him and hog tied him.

" **Too bad Gato was lying through his teeth. He doesn't have enough money to pay his own bar tab! He has all those people working for him with signed IOUs that he either can't pay or never intends to pay in the first place. That traitorous idiot got swindled by him like all the thugs that work for him."**

The look of shame on the traitor's face made every one feel sorry for him. Everyone except me or Tazuna that is. Tazuna told them to untie him, which they did. The guy must have believed everything was forgiven, boy was he ever going to get wise?

"I will not cause you any harm, but no benefit either. I highly suggest you leave town and never return. I also suggest forgetting about working as a construction worker or putting my name as a reference. You are leaving with your life, and your possessions but nothing more and nothing less. Get out of our town traitor and never return."

I knew what was going to happen and I knew what he would do too. It had been one of the reasons for me to go undercover to collect this information in the first place, it also allowed me a couple of days without having to listen or see Sakura flirt with Sayomi.

The rest of the construction workers became instantly motivated to do even better. My guard duty from that point on became so damn boring I practically begged Tazuna to let me help in the construction. At first he didn't want me to do it, but when he saw I could make five hundred shadow clones he dropped any complaint about it.

I spend much time during my guard duty learning about construction techniques, and being a seal master I came up with some good ideas on how to use seals to make the bridge even better.

The other aspect is that everything I learned the shadow clones knew. "Naruto if a few days you told me you and I be discussing how to improve my bridge schematics I would call you insane. I have to admit those regen seals and strengthening seals are a god sent."

I been doing this for nearly a week. Tazuna at first was sceptical about my seals, but once I explained how I would use them he was all for it. I would use seals that would treat the bridge as a living structure. It would repair itself and the more weight it carried the stronger it would get.

"Say Naruto why don't you sleep in the room I said you can use? I kind of feel bad that you do all these things for us and we give you nothing in return." I jumped off the steel beam that I was standing on and landed right next to him.

"I am a fox Tazuna, trust me I feel more comfortable on that tree branch. I also don't want to cause you or your daughter any more trouble. I guess Inari never did as we agreed and he will cause you no end of trouble if I live with him under the same roof."

Tazuna began laughing like I said a really good joke. "You mean his little wake up call? Yea, he went to the market every day with his mom. He couldn't believe he saw girls and boys his age eating out of garbage cans. Some even were prostituting themselves to help feed their relatives."

"After he saw that he started to realize he had it better than most. He cried that he finally realized he was a spoiled brat and from that moment on he started helping his mother with the housework. He even sold his toys and gave the money to a food bank to feed the needy."

"Trust me Naruto he will welcome you with open arms. In fact I have a bit of a favor to ask you. Could you teach him some self defense? I know if my son learned to defend himself better he might still be alive."

I knew what his heavy drinking would cause him. So I decided to make him a deal I knew he would never agree. "Alright, I will live in your house and teach Inari how to fight, but in return you cut back on your drinking to one glass per day. We got a deal?"

I expected him to say for me to keep sleeping on the tree. Instead he grabbed my hand and said something that left me speechless. "You got yourself a deal! I was planning to cut back anyways. Bad example for my grandson you know."


	17. Chapter 17

This is a Naruto Fan Fiction only.

Waking up the next day in the bed I was told I could use was something of an experience. It sure was a lot softer than my bed back in Konoha. I honestly had a tough time getting out of bed. I was just that comfortable.

I was given a toothbrush and a cup for my personal use. The first nasty surprise didn't come from Inari as I had expected. The kid indeed welcomed me with a hug and apologized for being so bratty with me before.

No the nasty surprise came from Sakura who was apparently not told I was sleeping in Tazuna's home. I came down for breakfast and out of nowhere I hear a shout. **"What in the holiest of hells is that thing in here? I thought that I could eat breakfast without having to see it!"**

I thanked Tsunami for the offer of breakfast and was about to leave before she grabbed my arm and forcefully dragged me back to my seat and pushed me down till I was seated. "Naruto I am not letting you leave till you eat a healthy breakfast. Sakura we are not uncivilized in this house. No shouting is allowed. Talk in a civil tone or forget about your meal got it?"

Seems Tsunami didn't like the way Sakura talked about me or maybe she just didn't want someone setting a bad example for her son. I was feeling quite welcomed either way.

I looked at Inari and tried to look like a really strict instructor. "Inari after breakfast and we take care of those dishes you are taking some self defense lessons from me from now on."

Gone was the bratty kid I met and instead now he was a polite one. "Mind telling me why should I learn these things?" I looked at Tsunami and she looked like she wanted an answer to the same question.

I smiled and looked at Kakashi before answering. "To better protect yourself and those you care about. Inari we live in a dangerous world. We need to know how to defend ourselves or someone will notice this and they will try to take advantage of you if you are helpless."

I quickly said a small prayer and began eating my breakfast. To me it was a tasty breakfast, but then again I also learned a few recipes after eating some of the things she prepared.

Inari got up and took some of the dishes to the kitchen sink, and I took the rest. We decided with a game of rock, paper, scissors who would do what. Since I won I washed and he dried them.

"That is awfully nice of you both Naruto, Inari. I really appreciate the help with the dishes." I cleaned off myself and told her it was the least I could do to thank her for the meal.

I walked with Inari to a nearby wall. The wall needed sanding and painting. I took a sanding disk and gave it to him. I showed him what to do. "Sand these walls, big circles counter clock wise."

He looked really tired by the end of it, but he did sand all the wooden walls. I told him he did good and we walked into the house for dinner.

The next day I grabbed a pair of rags and told him to clean all the windows, "Like with the walls clean all the windows, circles but this time clockwise." He didn't like it but he did as I told him. It took him all day but every window looked spotless.

Any complaint he had was not even spoken as Tsunami hugged her son and thanked him for cleaning the windows.

The next day I gave him a bucket of paint and a brush. I showed him what to do. "Paint all these walls just like I showed you. Up, down all the walls." It took him four cans of paint to paint all the walls.

I was quite proud of the progress he made. His mother was absolutely delighted that her son did so much around their home. Tazuna was in tears that at least one member of his family was into construction work as much as he was.

It took him till the following Saturday for Inari to complain. He refused to do the next thing I told him to do. "You are supposed to teach me self defense, all I been doing is chores! Naruto when as you going to teach me how to fight."

I looked at him with a smile, "Inari that is exactly what I been doing. Teaching you to better defend yourself." The next thing he did made me stop smiling. He dropped the spatula and screamed at me.

" **Bullshit! You haven't taught me anything at all! All I been doing is boring useless chores!"**

I looked at him as if I was indeed an instructor. "Show me sand the wall." He moved his arms in circles with any real motion. I showed him he real movements by grabbing hold of his hand.

"Now show me window cleaning!" Again he moved in a haphazard way. I showed him the proper movements by grabbing his hand again.

"Now show me paint the wall!" I showed him the right movements again like those time before.

"Show me sand the wall." As he was about to move I punched in his direction and he used the movement he learned from sanding the wall to deflect my strike.

I did this with the rest and each time he stopped a kick or a punch or a combination of punches and kicks.

"So you say I didn't teach you anything. It looks to me like you did learn somethings from my teaching. Hand to hand combat is a matter of constant practice and repetition. I made you do those chores to make you repeat the moves so much they became almost an instinct."

"Second reason is that you lack the physical condition and stamina to learn any other way. I got a few weeks so I have to train you in a limited amount of time. Now pick up that Spatula and do as I tell you. This will be the end of your basic training. By the end of my training you will wish we had continued with the useless chores. I promise you that!"

It took me faster than expected, the kid was a sponge. Every move I taught him and every chore I gave completed without any complaints. Now if only Sakura was as willing to improve as Inari, but then again it would take a miracle for that to happen.

The month finally came to an end and Zabuza's pretending injury was scheduled to cure tomorrow. I managed to spread quite a few rumors around town, and Gato has lot all but his either most loyal, or down right psychotic employees.

"So Naruto do you think we can put in a cargo lift in the middle of the bridge like that?" Tazuna asked me as we all ate breakfast. I put down my orange juice to answer that.

"I don't see why not. With the seals in place we don't have to worry about the structure being overburden. In fact the more weight we place on it over time the stronger and longer it will last."

Kakashi was just watching us while eating. Inari was helping her mother carry the dishes to the sink since he was already done eating. Sakura was having seconds and Sayomi was drinking her juice while watching me.

I can tell she is not happy one bit that I spent all my free time training Inari, instead of spending some of it with her. She might look like a guy right now, but deep down I get the feeling that she feels very much like a neglected lover. She hasn't said a word to me or about me in days.

"I wouldn't worry about those guys quitting Tazuna. I can make as many shadow clones as needed, and we don't need slackers or traitors. Don't you worry that bridge will get finished or I am not the son of the Fourth Hokage."

Sakura just glared at me and decided to finally say a word today. "I guess that means the bridge will never be finished, cause there is no way in hell you of all people are a son of the Fourth Hokage."

I was to correct her, but Kakashi decided to do it first. "Actually Sakura Naruto is his son by birth, me and Mizuki are his brothers because the Fourth and his wife adopted both of us."

"I guess he told us because he trying to trust us more. Very big of you to do that little bro!" Sakura had to be sworn to secrecy since she liked to gossip.

Tomorrow was the final battle against Gato. I decided to try and relax them a little. "You might want to sleep well tonight. I get the feeling our final battle against Gato tomorrow. We nearly have the bridge finished he must be feeling the pressure."

I went outside to see if there was anything I could do to make their home safer. 'I wouldn't put it out of the real of possibilities with Gato. He is the sort that would either take both Tsunami and Inari as hostages, or kill them when Gato tries to get Tazuna to give up and he refuses to cave in.'

A few seals around the house and a few well hidden shadow clones should be enough, or at least I hope it is. It would feel very much like a defeat if we didn't manage to keep those two alive.

I decided to sleep in comfortable, home like surroundings. Outside and as far away from humans without causing me to put the mission at risk. I know I agreed to sleep in the room they so kindly offered me, but there was another reason for me to do this.

"So Haku just to be sure Zabusa wants to be the one to kill Gato?" Haku was wearing a rather nice set of clothes, had her hair down in a particularly nice and wholesome way, I guest it was a little surprising seeing her in a flower print kimono with a petal print obi.

"Yes, father is absolutely furious after he finished reading that bastard's personal journal. I was too after he wrote that he planned to get me addicted on a rather nasty drug and sell me to a brothel. I am glad to see that you are a man of your word."

I smiled at her, "Trust me, the Council in Konoha will fall over themselves to include a man of your father's skill level. The only problem I would see is that if you aren't Chuunin, they might want to use the CRA on you. I don't think your father would be happy of you being treated like that."

She smiled a rather unusual way and came closer to me. "I know that law quite well, and I do appreciate your concern. You don't have to worry about me in that regard. I am a Chuunin in my last village. But honestly is that why that teammate of your pretends to be a guy?"

"You mean Sasuke? How did you figure it out? I thought she had done an admirable job of hiding her gender." She just put a hand to her mouth to make her laughter sound less loud than it was.

"The way she looked at me when you gave me my pet spoke to me loud and clear. She was giving me the glare of a woman who was bitterly jealous and considers you hers. I never seen a guy glare at me like that, but a young woman in love well it was to be expected. I would do it too had I a lover in my life and felt threatened that another woman might take him from me."

I decided to get back to our main points of discussion before we got to any intimate details about my relationship with Sayomi or her telling me about some old flames in her past.

"As far as I see it, I see no problem with your father's plan. Be sure to tell him to get the demon brothers to use a better genjutsu. Gato may not be as smart as he thinks he us, but that last one they used was painfully foolish."

She couldn't help laughing as I told her about it. She got up and smiled, "I wouldn't worry too much. I am sure they thought that a group of genin was never going to notice it. This taught them a valuable lesson, don't assume things in face value. Father will be happy that you agreed with the plan. Sweet dreams Naruto, tomorrow will be a busy day."

As we finished our discussion I felt the presence of someone nearby. "And here I though my godfather was the only one that enjoyed peeping. Why did you hide Sayomi? We were just having a discussion on tomorrow's battle."

She came out of hiding and boy did she look mad. "Really? It looked to me like she was undressing you with her eyes, and you two were having quite the little romantic moment. I can't blame you, she doesn't have to hide her gender like I do!"

I could hardly believe it, Sayomi Uchiha was actually jealous. "I should have known you humans would not know this, but get this straight Sayomi. My kind mate for life! I think you can pretty much figure out why being jealous is unnecessary."


	18. Chapter 18

This is a Naruto Fan Fiction only.

The next day the entire team was present for what would be a battle to remember. Today was the battle for independence against Gato and his attempt to continue to use and abuse the people of Tazuna's town.

I pretended like nothing was out of the ordinary and worked on the bridge like always. We got some of the workers to hide in the nearby bushes prepared to act as backup should the need arise.

I for one told them it was unnecessary, but the workers wanted to do something to help make their home town free and a happier place to live for everyone.

At noon we took a break for lunch like we often did. That is when Zabuza, Haku and the demon brothers showed up. Tazuna thought they were back to try and kill him. I laughed and walked towards Zabuza and gave him a big hug to welcome him.

"Nice to see you recovered. Hey stop looking at him like that Tazuna. Come on let's all have a pleasant lunch. You are going to love this soup Zabuza. Baku don't be a stranger, you and the other two come on let's eat before it gets cold!"

Zabuza and his people did just that and just as we were getting comfortable eating and talking on a shipping boat come Gato and a few dozen hired swordsmen.

" **Zabuza I hired you to kill the stupid bridge builder and the idiots guarding him. Mind telling me what the hell do you think you are doing? That food better be poisoned for your sake!"**

Zabuza decided to pull down his mask and we all saw his sharp teeth. "I would have killed them, but unfortunately for you the blonde right by my side is my nephew. You can't actually expect me to kill my long lost nephew now can you? As to what I am doing I am catching up with my nephew as we have a delicious shark fin soup."

"And before you guys do anything stupid, you might want to read a book two guys sold us. I think there names were Shinji and Renji. I say they were cause my precious little girl killed them both for trying to grope her."

Haku just smiled and looked at her father. "It's not my fault that they didn't listened to my warning. I may be as lovely as a rose, but my thorns are lethal."

This got Gato nervous enough for everyone to see it, no more hiding his fear it seems. "Look I will pay you everything I promised and more. Just kill these idiots and the people building the bridge!" I really hoped that these thugs would listen to reason, but I guess it's part of their nature to be greedy.

As the advanced towards us holding their weapons and us knowing they agreed I began throwing kunai at them and naturally they all appeared to have missed. Sakura was laughing her ass off as she saw that.

"God Naruto you are even more pathetic than I figured. You didn't hit a single one, and you threw all those kunai!"

I held only one kunai in hand and smiled at my team and Zabuza's group. "Be back in a flash, Zabuza you might as well get ready to butcher and kill a certain piggy!"

With a little chakra I went and used the flight of the thunder god technique. Just as I experienced it before. I went from one point to another and to me time seemed to slow down. I went from one kunai to the next killing the thugs at each point.

I didn't see anymore enemies so I went back to the first kunai. I held out my hand and all the kunai came floating back to me. "Thanks a lot nephew. Couldn't have expected to see the second yellow flash when I decided to take this mission, but you will have to excuse me. I got a piggy to kill."

Gato must have been pissing himself because Zabuza was walking towards him with his carving knife in hand and with that smile who wouldn't be scared? Zabuza put his chubby head in one of the holes in the sword and with a single pull the head came off as if it was a cork in a bottle of wine.

"Well I guess that explains why that sword has those holes. Nice show Naruto, but why did he call you nephew?" Kakashi looked a bit confused as he finished saying that to me.

Haku just smiled and said something nobody but me had figured out. "Simple really, my dad always considered Kushina Uzumaki his sister. So it shouldn't be that surprising for him to consider Naruto his nephew, right cousin?"

Sayomi seemed to relax like a thousand pound weight fell off her shoulders as she heard Haku call me cousin.

"Now we just got to finish the bridge and go home." I guess Tazuna was right, and just happens that my shadow clones that were near his home dispelled as he said that. I couldn't help smiling as I knew what Inari had done. What teacher would not be proud of his student fighting off five men to defend his mother and beating all of them?

The construction of the bridge was completed sooner than expected. Once the rest of the town heard that Gato was dead they all decided to pitch in. I was walking home with my team, Zabuza, Haku and the demon brothers.

"Guys you might want to figure what position you want before we meet the Hokage." Zabuza pulled his mask back on his face after the fight it seems. He was laughing Ashe heard me say that.

"That's assuming he will accept us as ninja for Konoha. Me, I wouldn't mind training a bunch of wet behind the ears genin, my daughter always wanted to be a nurse so off to being a healer, and the twins more than likely ANBU like they were back on our old village."

"I am not exactly the most loved person by the council, so you might want to skip the part of me suggesting you join Konoha. Other than that they would be fools not to welcome you lot with open arms, me I will feel lucky if they keep ignoring my existence."

Zabuza knew that I was not kidding when I said that. Sakura didn't care either way. Haku just gave me a sympathetic look. Sayomi on the other hand was making fists and was mad.

As we arrived to the southern gates we saw two chuunin that the other ninja in the village called the eternal guardians. Ever since they made chuunin they been given the task of guarding the southern gate.

"Name, Identity and Purpose." I flat out asked him if he was drinking on the job? Cause if he was I knew of at least four people among our group that could use a drink.

His partner glared at me and told us they have to ask for this information for the log. Kakashi walked up to them, smiling like it wasn't a major deal.

"Team returning from a mission from Wave. We bring four foreign trained ninja that wish to join Konoha. We also need to give our mission report to the Hokage. Is that good enough for the log?"

They both stepped as side and opened the gate without saying another word.

As we walked towards the Hokage Building. I was treated to the warm welcome I had expected. People glaring at me, some complaining that I didn't up and die, and a few mothers telling their children not to make eye contact with me.

As I entered the office I kneeled in front of the desk of the Hokage. "No need to do that Naruto, stand I don't plan to punish you in any way. I received a letter from your client. It explained everything that happened. You must be the people mentioned in the letter."

"I for one am grateful that Naruto and you both worked so well together to put an end to Gato and his ambitions. He was a major financial supplier to a group of very dangerous rogue ninja. I here by welcome you as ninja of Konoha. Have you decided on what positions you best be suited for?"

Zabuza said he wanted to teach genin to be real ninja, Haku just for kicks said than other than being naked with me, she would like to continue learning to heal people. The look of sheer outrage on the supposed Sasuke was priceless.

Both the demon brothers said hunter division hands down. I guess my warm reception made them think that staying in the village for too long was not a desirable choice after all.

I was about to walk out till I heard something I knew would be trouble. "Kakashi, why don't you show these fine new ninja of our village the places I provided them to live in. I think a tour of the village is not out of the question. Naruto you stay, I have to speak with you about somethings in private."

'If he wanted to embarrass me, I say he succeeded in doing that.' Sakura left with the other singing Naruto is in trouble like it was a chant.

As I was left alone with the Hokage, and with the hidden ANBU guards. He told me to sit down. "Naruto you gone far beyond what was expected, you helped a family be closer, taught self defense to the grandson of our client, and even helped a teammate that hates you by teaching her much needed skills."

"I was told that your goal was to join the hunter division. What I need to ask you is why? You know far well that the hunter division is one that hunts rogue ninja. You also know this requires them to both wear a mask and to spend most of their time away from the village, so the question still stand why be a hunter?"

I walked over a window and looked at the people walking outside on the ground. "You saw the warm welcome I received, you know how much the people of this village wish, pray and yearn to hear of my death. I have no reason to want to remain in this village for long, and me being away will make your job a lot easier with the council."

Hirunzen Sarutobi was a very skilled ninja, and a truly loved Hokage, but he had one flaw as far as I was concerned. He always expected the very best out of people, and had great faith they would always do what was right. My life showed me different and I guess I was bit more jaded than him. I prefer to call it being realistic.

"Well I am sad that you feel that way. I can easily name a group of people that will miss you. As you know to join that division you must be chuunin or higher. I am sure Kakashi forgot to tell you or he just wants to surprise you. You and your team have been entered into our next chuunin exams. They start in about one month, and Kakashi will give your team the needed info and forms."

I went to my apartment from that meeting. I walk in and I find a sight out of one of my dreams. Here I walk in and found Sayomi dressed in a casual dress that still hugged her figure, wearing an apron with a smile on her face.

"Back already? I wanted a few more minutes to put the finishing touches to my surprise. I hope nothing bad happened in the meeting. Come on love we need to eat before it gets cold."

I just stood there with my mouth open and couldn't believe what I was seeing. I smacked my cheeks a few times, and pinched myself a few times too. Finally I was able to talk having calmed down.

"Sayomi you realize that anyone can see you from that window right? Is this something you are willing to risk and have your secret revealed? We aren't chuunin yet you know."

She came to me and hugged me. Damn I can feel her nipples which means she is both excited as I am and she is not wearing anything under those clothes. "I knew I picked the right man to love. You are always so sweet, caring and considerate to me. How could I possibly not love you?"

"And yes I know that they can see us. In fact Sakura and Ino are looking at us from that tree across that ramen shop you like so much. Torah is fine by the way and she is taking a nap. Now come on let's eat. I don't my effort slaving working on that hot stove to go to waste."

The next morning I woke up very happy and very much aware how lucky I was. I walked towards my team and Sakura was telling Sasuke something that clearly was gossip. She was still pretending to be a guy. I guess I just have to wait till we are both chuunin to make our relationship and her true gender known.

She punched me on the shoulder acting like an old friend. "So Sakura told me you had dinner and spent the night with a very beautiful lady. Why don't you trust you team and share that you had a girlfriend?"

I decided to play along and pretend to punch her shoulder. "I did tell you that I had a relationship. I told you when we did that introduction thing Kakashi made us do remember? I indeed had dinner and spent the night with my beloved Sayomi. I can tell you Sasuke she can cook some delicious food, and is just as sweet."


	19. Chapter 19

This is a Naruto Fan Fiction only.

I knew that she secretly was happy I said that, but I wouldn't have said it unless it was true. Kakashi finally made it to the team meeting but he looked a little out of it, even more so than usual.

He walked to us and sat down in front of us. "Guys I have some good news and some bad news. The good news is that I put your names forward for the upcoming chuunin exams. The bad news is that this will be the most dangerous thing you have ever done. So I understand if you don't want to participate. Take these forms to your parents and be ready for the exams. We got two weeks were we are going to dedicate them to train."

I decided to give the answer everyone was expecting. "Kakashi there is only one problem with that, two of us don't have any parents to sign these forms. Mine are long dead, and Sasuke lost his too. How are we going to get these forms sign? Do you have a way to talk to the spirit of the dead? Cause if you don't that might cause both of us some problems."

He laughed and looked at both of us, "I wouldn't worry about Naruto. As orphans the Hokage has already signed the forms for you as your legal guardians. I was just saying it for Sakura's sake, her mom is probably busy with stuff with the Council."

I looked at the sky and we both had the same idea. 'It must be nice to have a relative to count on. We better make sure we are there for our kids.'

Kakashi decided to continue his lecture. "Since you three are participating in the exams, I figured we better spend this month to train. These exams are no laughing matter, and those that are unprepared could find out just how deadly these exams are. Since you trained more than the rest Naruto."

"I need you to meet with me bright an early tomorrow to discuss what I want you to help for their training. No sleeping in little brother, you know I will need help and with who."

We both looked at Sakura and we both agreed if we didn't train her hard, there was going to be one majorly upset Council woman and we both didn't need that hanging over our heads going in the exams.

"Don't worry Kakashi, I will be there. I will discuss the training with mother tonight. I am sure she will give me some tips and advice." I knew that Sakura was going to jump at the chance to humiliate me.

"Naruto you big liar, didn't you say you were an orphan like Sasuke? I knew you were nothing more than a self serving liar. Guess what idiot! If you have a mother then you can't be considered an orphan."

Kakashi just appeared behind her and slapped her on the back of her head hard. As soon as she got off the ground she was glaring at him. "He can if his mother doesn't have a body! He communes with the dead spirit of his mother. It's a rare ability of his clan to be able to talk to dead members of their clan."

I walked home and decided to do a little grocery shopping in the mean time. I went through something that would have scared someone else to death, but to me picking food, hunting an animal, and plucking a fish from a river was just grocery shopping. I know that this place was called the Forest of Death, but come on this place was wonderful.

I met my summons here, grew up here, and even trained to my heart's content even before going to the Academy. The place sure had dangerous beast, but that was just part of the fun.

I finished my grocery shopping and decided to go home. I still had to cook dinner after all. I knew Sayomi could cook again for me if I asked, but somehow I didn't want to be a burden to her or that I called her just because I could use her help. No, today I was going to surprise her with a home cooked meal instead.

I got back home in a flash thanks to the seal inside my apartment. I started cooking thinking that Sayomi might show up to discuss what we could do to make Sakura less of a liability.

Sure enough as I finished cooking I heard a knock on my door. "Naruto I know it's late, and the merchants in this village will not sell you anything. So how about we go out to eat somewhere? My treat."

She opened the door with her key and was speechless to what she saw. "Actually Sayomi I figured you could use a home cooked meal after the day you had. Come on, sit down before it get's cold. I prepared all your favorites."

Sayomi sat down on the chair and looked at the table before her. I sat down next to her and was grabbed by her in a surprise hug. "You know most guys depend on their lovers for this kind of thing, why did you do this? You know you could have asked me to do it, and I would do it gladly."

I kissed her and tried to whisper something to her. "I know, but I don't want you to think I want you just because you can do things for me. I also know you are tired and could use a home cooked meal, so I decided to surprise you."

She let go of her hold and was smiling at me. "You know most husbands leave all the house work to their wives, I guess that will not be the case for us. Just think of it, after the exams and if I make chuunin I can finally drop my disguise."

I couldn't help but to smile as I heard her say that. "Can you imagine the faces Ino and Sakura will make when they see as you really are? That is going to be priceless, and me without a camera. Don't forget Sayomi we still have the wedding, and honeymoon to plan."

She laughed as I mentioned how Ino and Sakura would react. "Oh, you don't need to worry about that one bit. I am already looking at wedding dresses and as for the honeymoon I have a few ideas where we could go. How does stopping a civil war sound to you? To me it will be fun, compared to the things Konoha makes us do."

The next day our training began and let me tell you Sakura Haruno was just as much of a pain as I ever remember her being. It was pretty much decided by Kakashi that I would be in charge of her training again.

Let's face it I would have better chances of training a rabid wolf than her any day, and chances are the wolf would actually appreciate my training of him a lot more than she did.

To Kakashi and Sayomi this felt like a month long vacation, to me on the other hand was something different all together. Had the Hokage not allowed me to send shadow clones on missions this month was going to be unbearable.

Sakura flat out refused to listen to anything I planned out to teach her. She did during my training before our mission to Wave, but now she was being stubborn for some unknown reason.

I looked at her at seating on the ground, ignoring everything I say. "Look Sakura we are going to enter exams that will determine if we are considered adults or not. These exams are dangerous, and a lot of other villages might even enter these exams. They could easily weaken the village killing off our village's ninja participating in the exams."

"If they somehow manage to make every one of us failing, or outright kill our ninja. This village will be weaken both militarily and then financially. I understand you hating me, but could you put that aside for the sake of the village."

She still didn't budge an inch. I knew she was going to be a pain, but the sheer joy of seeing her face after she finds out the guy she was so obsessed is not a guy at all.

"Sakura you can do it for yourself, and even for your mother. I don't think she will be happy to hear that her daughter did not pass the exams. So what shall it be? Swallow your stubborn pride for the good of your mother and the village or face the music from her?"

That finally saw what I was trying to get her to accept. "Alright, but I will do it for my village, and my mother. Just don't think I will owe you a damn thing! Don't think I owe you any favors."

For a second there I wanted to tell her that if that was her attitude then she could go ahead and beg her mother to get her a private tutor. I was sure a Councilwoman like her was making money hand over fist anyways, but for the good of the team and specially Sayomi I didn't say anything.

I began to explain my training schedule, and every time she complained that I was being to sever I plan to ask if she is ready to be genin for the rest of her life?

The days felt like absolute torture to me, and I kept right on schedule no matter how much the pinkete complained and boy did she complain. I first spent two weeks making her physically and mentally stronger. I silently prayed each night for the sage of the six paths to take pity on my poor soul.

The next week was devoted to chakra control, and thanks to the fact she could use the shadow clones technique to make at least one clone it made that training progress a little better.

The exercise I picked was the leaf exercise. It was a jounin level control exercise but I had limit time. "Alright Sakura, for this exercise you must use your chakra to make this leaf stick to your forehead, and using chakra you will push it up and then catch it on your forehead again. You will do this ten times per day, your shadow clone also."

She was ready to tell me where in my body I could bury my ideas, and my leaf. I knew it from the way she was glaring at me. I took a leaf from the ground and place it on my forehead and then looked at her.

I looked up and did the exercise with my eyes closed. "If I can do it with my eyes closed, and I am the worst student in the academy, it should be a cake walk for the best kunoichi of our class."

It took her three days to master the control exercise and the rest was spent in practice. By the end she could do a couple of shadow clones and I had to admit I was impressed that she managed to do that in such a short amount of time.

The last days it was spent on ninjutsu. To be more specific it was spent on elemental manipulation. I took a piece of paper and gave it to her. "This is paper that was made from a tree that grew on chakra. If you send your chakra through it something will happen."

"Depending on your strongest affinity the paper will do one of these things, it will cut if you have strong wind affinity, soak if it's water, burn if it's fire, wrinkle if it's lighing, and crumble if it's earth. Let me show you how it's done."

I took a piece and I sent chakra through it. It divided in several pieces, it showed I had one of every elemental affinity. "Now it's your turn. If I am guessing correcting it will be wind and lighting."

She did as I told her and sure enough it was wind and lightning alright, but to my surprise the paper was also damp which means she also had a slightly weaker water affinity.

"Since you have these elements I have these scrolls from the ninja library to help you use techniques for each of your elements. I will teach you control of these elements when I see that you can at least do a C rank technique for each of your elements."

She looked at me glaring at me. "So you think I can't do it?" I laughed and told her I thought that she could never do it, even if her life depended on it. I know it is below me to do such a thing, but a good teacher always motivates his students. My words may not sound as nice, but they do have the desired effect.

I knew that by saying this she would stop at nothing to prove me wrong. Her pride as I expected would never allow her to do otherwise. By the end of the month she not only could do C rank techniques but all A rank too, even some S rank ones. She laughed as she screamed that I was shown how strong she was, and she was beating her fists on her chest while screaming this at me.

I could not help but to feel proud of my student's accomplishments. I truth we were finally ready for our toughtest trials yet, the Chuunin Exams.

She went home looking mighty please with herself, and I decided that a good plate of ramen was the best way to celebrate my student going from a love crazed fan girl to a truly motivated kunoichi of Konoha.


	20. Chapter 20

This is a Naruto Fan Fiction only.

Alright time to act casual and not draw any conclusions without proper evidence. I just sat down and ordered the food I often order when I celebrate things. I ordered a miso ramen plate, with plenty of menma, I need the fiber.

"Teuchi a plate of your finest miso ramen, and don't skip out on the menma. I need plenty of fiber." Teuchi was happy to hear that I was including menma to my diet. I guess mom's often advice to try and inclue it more in my diet finally sinked in.

"Be ready in a second Naruto, Ayame bring him a cup of tea. Mizuki your chicken ramen, and your pork cutlet ramen for your lady friend. Be back in a little bit need to get a miso ramen to a frequent customer."

This made both Anko and Mizuki turn and see that I was seated a few feet from them. "I didn't even hear you order. Why is my little brother being so antisocial? Your becoming an emo and you don't even notice."

I thanked Ayame for the tea, "I just didn't want to interrupt your date. It looks like Anko is going to be joining the family. So Anko do you have a wedding day planned? And am I even invited or should I not attend to lessen the possible chances of a riot."

Anko laughed and smiled at Mizuki. "I am too busy with the coming exams to even plan our wedding. As for a riot I think just the fact that someone is willing to marry me is reason enough for a riot. You better attend the wedding or I am sending a few dozen snakes to drag you there."

I guess somethings happened during my mission to Wave. I know Anko was starting to date Mizuki before my team left for that mission, but even I was caught by surprise by this declaration.

"Guess I really don't have much of a choice in that matter. True some of your snakes are good friends of mine, but some others are a bit sour about something. They never even bothered explaining to me what I did wrong to upset them so much."

I saw Anko laugh and she leaned on Mizuki as she whispered something in his right ear, he nodded his head as soon as she was done. "Actually little brother it's quite simple. They kind of hoped that you would sign their contract, but instead you signed the panther contract. This is the reason they are so upset."

Anko nodded her head in affirmation of this, "Think about it Naruto, aside from me who else is a snake summoner? Orochimaru, that's who. Manda is too proud to cancel his signature, but they aren't too proud of him after everything he has done."

My miso ramen finally got to me, I really missed the taste of this when in Wave, I was told that they can't have it since vegetables were so expensive due to Gato controlling trade. I secretly hoped that they would be eating something as good as I was.

"Since I am going to be in the Exams, I guess you can't give me a hint what the exams are going to be. I will not ask you, since you probably were sworn into secrecy. You guys better sleep early today. The Exams are tomorrow and I think as a proctor you are going to need your sleep."

I finished my ramen and jumped from rooftop to rooftop till I was back home. I took a shower and just as I was lathering my hair, I felt someone behind me. I felt a pair of nipples pressing against my back and a pair of hands on my hair.

"Sayomi if you wanted to take a shower, why didn't you when I was off training the pinkete?" She put her arms around me letting me feel even more of her pressing against me.

"Oh, I definitely wanted to take a shower, and I could take one then. The only problem is that even though I wanted to take a shower, I rather take it with you. So come on lover, hand me that soap and I will wash your back. Maybe you can wash mine next, and maybe even my front too."

I guess Sayomi pretty much had me figured out. I guess I will just have to live with the ninja of this village calling me a whipped husband for the rest of my days. I am already whipped and I haven't even married her.

I had no choice but to accept her proposal and let's face it. Most guys only saw an emo guy in ninja gear, but right now I was looking at her and what I looking at was really was causing me a much different reaction.

I know that I really shouldn't stare, but when a beautiful woman, with a body as attractive as that stands near me and with the water dripping down her skin, I can't help to think Sayomi would put most models of my friend's porn magazines to shame.

I grabbed the sponge and began to latter her body from her toes, and slowly worked my way up I guess I as having an effect on her since sometimes she would let out these little heated moans.

When I got to her shoulders, I wrapped my arms around her waist pulled her closer just so that I could kiss her. The blushing look on her face was priceless, which I could take a picture but I guess I just need to make sure I don't forget this moment.

I saw her turn around as I let go of her. I washed her back and was washing her hair by the time she finally said something that caught my attention as I was washing her long hair.

"Now it's my turn, don't move till I tell you. Let's see how you like being on the receiving end."

I just didn't understand what she was talking about. She got on her knees and began to wash my front front my toes up, except that when she got to my manhood, she used the soap suds on her breast to do something I never expected.

She put my dick right between her breast and began to latter it with her breast. This caught me completely by surprise and sure enough I was as hard as a diamond down there, and my pulse was going so fast I think I could have set a new pulse speed record.

She continued to do this working her way up using her breasts as a sponge. If I had no intention of sleeping with her after this particular erotic shower, thanks to this that idea went down in flames. I as she got done covering my front with soap suds, I had every intention of spending the night screwing the living daylights out of her.

As she got done with my back, I heard her open the shower and try to wash the suds off us. I turned around and pinned her against the wall. "Well someone sure got in the mood quicker than I figure. What do you plan to do with that thing rubbing against my thigh?"

I looked at her and put my face right next to her ear. "Why I plan to screw you till you can't walk straight, so I will carry you to bed and keep going there. I guess I could say that you shouldn't heat the bath water if you don't plan to take a bath, or do you have any objections?"

She decided grab hold of me and give me one sizzling hot passionate kiss. "I am all for it, so how about more screwing and less talking. **Ride me Naruto, Ride me like an Inuzuka bitch in heat!** "

After some of the most passionate sex I had to date I fell asleep right next to her. I could barely feel my hands, and she had her head resting on my chest. I could still see and hear her breathing heavy.

We went from the shower, to the living room, and then finally the bed. We didn't stop at a single moment. We kept at it even as I basically carried her from one room to the next.

I looked at her messed up hair and she had a smile that said she was one happy little lady. I could not keep my eyes open anymore, and the fatigue of the entire thing finally hit me. I fell asleep without a worry in the world.

The next morning we were pretty much entangled with each other, and I had to use a substitution technique just to be able to get out of bed. Good thing I had large pillows near by.

I got dressed and decided to go to the forest and hunt me some breakfast. I had the idea of surprising my sleeping lover with breakfast in bed. It's the very least I could do after the best sex in my entire life. I think she will actually be sore in a few places when she wakes up.

As I made my way back from my hunt, guess having a group of panthers help me sure made my grocery shopping in the forest a lot easier.

As I walked I saw practically the only kid who actually was always nice to me. Go figure it would be the Hokage's own grandson. Konahamaru was a nice kid, and the fact he loved pranks made him feel like he was my kid brother.

I saw him walk towards me until he unintentionally ran into a guy wearing facial paint, and a blonde woman who was not afraid to wear something that showed off her figure. If that suit was more revealing I would be able to tell if she is an actual blonde or she just colors her hair that way.

My curiosity ended as he grabbed Konahamaru by the throat and pulled him off the ground. The next thing that cause me to run towards them was the feeling of a person with chakra like mine hiding behind on one of the tree branches near them.

I got there and pulled my blade at the face paint wearing guy, he had a massive bundle tied to his back. 'Great, just what I needed. A puppeteer from Suna. Chances are the bundle is the real guy and what is holding Konahamaru is the puppet. If that is the case I better be careful before he springs his poison built in weapons.'

I looked at the blonde woman who had shifted her clothes to a much more demure looking armor, it made me realize the previous form was a transformation.

"I highly suggest you let the boy down easy and let him go. You might not know this but that is the grandson of our Hokage. I highly doubt your village wants to have an incident just cause a kid didn't see where he was running."

Konahamaru apologized saying that he was sorry, but seeing me after so long made him real excited to chat with me. He was let down and the kid went off to meet with his friends, probably to tell them all about it.

I walked towards the tree branch and walked right beneath the one the guy with similar chakra to my own was seated. "Just how long do you plan to sit up there? You could at the very least say hello Brother!"

The guy jumped down next to me. He had a tattoo with the symbol for love tattooed to his forehead and had a massive gourd on his back. "I was just waiting for the situation to clear, don't want our little family reunion to be ruined. Mother sends her regards by the way, how is your mother doing the moment."

I knew exactly how Kurama was feeling, she was upset that her youngest brother was so rude. She was even screaming inside my mind about how rude the raccoon dog was to us.

"She is angry that you hide up there instead of helping me out. I am the son of the nine tails, Naruto Uzumaki. I guess you three are here for the exams. You need to keep better control of your brother's temper or your stay in the village could cause trouble."

The blonde woman looked at me and walked towards me. "The one with the gourd is my brother Gaara, the freak with the face paint is Kankuro, and I am Temari. We are the children of the Kazekage. What kind of trouble do you mean?"

After a brief handshake I smiled at them. "This village doesn't like Biju, they down right hate us in fact. So I would try to not give them any reason to try and do something nasty to you if I was you."

Temari laughed as I said that, Kankuro actually nodded his head. "You are not the only jinchuriki who has expressed that they had rough treatment from their village. We are very well aware that Biju are hated. Our village is no different in that regard. I highly doubt they will be much challenge to Gaara or anyone like him."

"Since we are having such a friendly get together mind telling us where the hotel your village is providing lodging in?" I told her it was the big one in the middle of the village. Gaara did something that caught them by surprise, he thanked me and he and his siblings took off towards the hotel I told them off.


	21. Chapter 21

**This is a Naruto Fan Fiction only.**

It seems both me and Sayomi had a much different view on what a romantic wake up would be. For me waking her up with a warm breakfast, and a good morning kiss would pretty much qualify as a romantic wake up call.

She on the other hand was happier if I skipped the whole breakfast part and just wake up with her in bed, and gave him a kiss to wake her up with me being nearby so she could hug me after the kiss.

I guess I should really consider myself lucky that she didn't hear what happened between me and the three children of the Kazekage. Last thing I needed was to explain to her that she had no reason to be jealous.

Finally the day came, the start of the exams. I got a feeling something was going to happen I was not going to like one bit. I guess this is what being in a relationship is like. You wake up with a wonderful surprise planned for your significant other, and it only ends up blowing up on your face cause a big argument with the same person you were making love with the previous night.

I saw that she was back to her Sasuke disguise and boy did she look upset. She didn't say a single word to great me as I walked near them. Of course that was not the cause for the pinkete no matter how much I may wish it was.

" **Your late! I will have your head Naruto if I don't become Chuunin just cause you got here late!"**

I walked towards he and I could see Kakashi's chakra up on a nearby tree so I decided to do something that would catch him and her by surprise.

"Sorry about that Sakura, I woke up early and I was on my way here, just that a black cat crossed my path. So I had to take the long way around to get here. I guess I kind of got lost on the road of life."

They both glared at me like I was insane.

"I guess we need to get the show on the road, come one Sasuke? What's the matter? Feeling a bit crankier than usual I see."

Sayomi smiled and pretended to glare at me. "You keep me waiting, and who wouldn't be cranky having to look at you every day dope!"

This made Sakura relax somewhat and as he said that I decided to begin walking in, well that was the idea except Sakura got in my way. "You are not entering first, let your betters enter first! After you Sasuke."

I began wondering how much damaged would cause to the Council and the old man's day if I just let this banshee die? That is when Kurama told me that it was not the way of a leaf ninja should act.

'I didn't raise you to betray your teammates, son. I understand she is a constant pain in the neck, but that is no reason to turn into another Orochimaru now is it? Just remember, after you are a Chuunin you can join the hunter division and then the chances of your meeting the banshee are slim to none.'

I guess I should let that motivate me, except I had an even better one. The second she is Chuunin Sayomi can finally drop her disguise. When Sakura and by extension Ino find out about this, it was going to be priceless.

As we walked up the stairs and reached the door where the first phase of the exams was to take place I looked at the sign and then at Sayomi. "Sasuke you are an Uchiha, an expert on genjutsus. So in your honest opinion which is worse the one that the demon brothers used or this one."

She looked at the sign and knew exactly what I was talking about. "This is pretty basic actually dope. I am surprised you even caught on to it." Sakura was just staring at he sign like it had a secret and she needed to know what it was.

"I don't get it what is this idiot talking about?" She clearly was talking about me.

"Sakura how many floors have we gone up?" She immediately said two, and that was when it hit her. The sign on the door read 32, which means if the sign was correct this should be the third floor, but it was the second.

"This is the exam to determine who is ready to be Chuunin. Our academy teachers were Chuunin for crying out loud. If you are so easily tricked by this, it makes me wonder if you really are ready to be a Genin."

I walked into the room and saw that many teams had realized how elementary the genjutsu on the sign really was. All the rookies of our year were present and it seems some of the people were from a village I never even heard about.

A glass wearing guy came close to us smiling, "Good to see that all my fellow leaf candidates made it on time. The name is Kabuto, this is my fifth time taking these exams, if you guys need to know anything I will be glad to share it with my fellow leaf ninja."

Sayomi was the first to ask him to clarify. "I have this special cards you see, if I focus my chakra through them I have information on all the people taking the exams. You can ask me about anyone and I will know some good info about them."

Sayomi decided to put him to the test. "Ok, since you are offering who am I to refuse free info. I want to know about Gaara, Naruto and Rock Lee."

Kabuto smiled and picked three cards and closed his eyes for a second. "Gaara from Suna, completed 150 D ranks, 40 C ranks, 20 b ranks, 10 a ranks, and 5 s rank missions. It says he never suffered as much as a scratch in all those missions."

"Now Naruto, Completed 160 D ranks, 50 C ranks, 60 b ranks, 30 a ranks, and 60 s ranks missions on his own. This can't be right it says he is the adopted child of a tailed beast. Has the panther contract and a lover named Sayomi."

That was when one of the ninja from the new village came up to us and grabbed the card that had the info on Rock Lee, and before Kabuto could say anything he tore it up into pieces.

"I heard that you tree hugging ninja were supposed to be honorable, but having a info sharing session and not inviting all the people in the room is not fair at all. Guess your village is just so pathetic that you need every advantage you can get."

I just about had it with this guy, true I don't feel as loyal to the village as others do but this was also making fun of both Sayomi and the few precious people I had.

I decided to act, "Since you are so much tougher than us, how about we get in a friendly sparing match? That should relax us for the first phase of the exams."

I knew he was up to something as he practically jumped at the chance to attack me. I quickly began using the fighting style mother taught me since I could walk.

The fight should be a friendly sparing match, quickly it turned into a fight where I was beating down an idiot who kept trying to kill me. It was clear that these guys used sound waves to distract and confuse their enemy, also that their main goal was to kill as many leaf ninja as possible.

They didn't attack or bully any of the ninja from the other villages, which means to me that they were targeting only ninja from the Hidden Leaf.

As I tripped him again, and he hit the ground for the tenth time a man covered in scars finally showed up. "Alright ladies, enough rough housing. You guys can play after you pass my exam and that is if you pass."

"My name is Ibiki Morino, I am the Head of the Torture and Interrogation Division of this village. The exam is quite simple you will be asked 9 questions, and points shall be taken off for each wrong answer, get caught cheating three times and you and your whole team are out."

He looked at the group of people seated in front of him and I knew that look quite well. "You know what I hate having people get a chance to retake these exams, so I decided if you fail my exam you and your team are banned from ever taking these exams again. That's it, you pass great, you fail you are Genin for life!"

This seems to caused a reaction I very much expected. Panic, Fear, and Anger spread through the people taking the exam. 'I should know better, I should expect something from Scarface Morino. That was to scare them into doing something stupid.'

I began to read the paper and tried very hard not to laugh. I could answer these stupid questions in my sleep. I answered each and every question while keeping my answers secret from those that tried to cheat.

Since I finished the exam in ten minutes, and had some free time I decided to get out a pack of cards and called two of my panthers. I started to play cards with them. 'This should get Ibiki's attention. I need to warn him about Kabuto. The guy smelled like he sleeps in a pit of vipers. That is something I should make him aware of.'

As I asked for three cards Ibiki finally came to see what I was doing. "Naruto mind telling me what the heck are you doing? You have a test to complete and you are playing cards with these panthers?"

I looked at him and then at the two panthers playing with me. "I will have you know Miro and Mulak are some of the best poker players you will ever meet. Now if you will excuse me. Darn with this bad hand."

Ibiki finally decided to sit down next to me and knew I was up to something else. "Well alright deal me in too. I am as bored as you are."

I handed him five cards and smiled. "We should really go hunting again. I think we might be able to catch that black python, you know the one. The one that is 3 by 7."

"You don't say, I seem to remember you screaming in terror when you saw it that first time." I looked at him and pretended to look upset about what he just said.

"You are one to talk, you said that you couldn't hear yourself think for a month cause of the noise your teeth were making. Anyways the exam should be over, but I want another game. I plan to recover everything I lost today."

He took the money and he laughed as he walked away and my panthers went back to their realm. I intentionally left a message between those bills. I hope Ibiki reads it as we go to the next phase. The Hokage needs to know that I think Kabuto is a spy for Orochimaru, and that means the traitor was going to attack.

I sat down on my seat and waited for Ibiki to tell us what happens next. "Ok, here is the final question. You are tasked with retrieving a scroll from an enemy base, chances are you will not survive. Your choices are simple, go through with the mission or go home running for your mamas."

I waited to see half the guys in the room say that no mission was worth dying for. They all walked out and didn't even bother to listen when he said to them that they could try again next year.

I guess he had a change of heart when we were playing cards.

"I would take that mission, no matter what! The Hokage wouldn't have sent my team on such a mission if it wasn't vital for the survival of the village. I will take the mission, but I will also make it back alive. As long as we work together as a team nobody has a chance against us!"

Ibiki was smiling as I said that and several of the remaining people were nodding their heads in agreement.

"That is the purpose of the final question. Chuunin are leaders of men and if you are not willing to risk your life for others, then you have no business leading anyone. I conclude the first phase of the exams and declare all those present in this room as having passed. Congratulations and good luck on your next phase."

Just as he finished someone threw a large ball of cloth and when it opened the cloth was pinned against the wall. The black cloth had something written on it with bright golden paint. 'The beautiful and sexy Anko Mitarashi present."

She was standing by Ibiki who did not look happy about her entrance. "This many passed? Ibiki you are going soft in your old age! Off your butts and follow me boys and girls. You are going to love the second phase of these Exams."

We followed her to my favorite part of the village, at least my favorite grocery store. A woman from Kumo was pretty close to me. We were at the wired gates that lead to the Forest of Death. I almost felt like I had come home, that is how happy I was that the next phase was here.


	22. Chapter 22

**This is a Naruto Fan Fiction only.**

As soon as she got to the gate she turned around and began her explanation of the phase. "First off you need to sign a waiver, you see in the next phase you can actually die. Killing is also allowed, so we need the waiver so that our village is not liable."

"As soon as you sign you will need to pick up a scroll from this bins here, one per team. You will either take a heaven or an earth scroll. The task is to find the team that has the scroll that your team does not have and take it. You will then go to the center of the forest to a local structure for the next phase. You are forbidden from opening the scrolls anywhere other than inside the structure."

She looked at me and then at Sasuke smiling, "You got six days to get the scroll you need from another team and reach the structure. If you are done with the waivers hand them in and ask your questions then."

Sakura looked terrified for some reason, honest she was not the only one that looked scared for some reason. "What are we going to do about sleeping quarters, or food in the forest?"

Darn it, that reminds me I had a delivery to make here. I walked over to Anko who was smiling at me, she was smiling like the cat that just ate the canary.

"Sakura there is plenty off food in there if you know where to look, for crying out loud I grew up getting my food here. Speaking of food Anko I got a box of extra sweet Dango with your name on it."

I walked up to her and handed her the box, she did take the box but decided to give me a hug as a thank you. When she was hugging me I decided to whisper something in her ear.

"Careful of that kumo kunoichi that was close to me, she smells an awful lot of snake, you know what that means." She smiled and gave me a quick kiss on the cheek.

As I walked back I could see Sayomi glaring daggers at Anko. It was kind of strange seeing her in her male form giving Anko a jealous glare.

As I got back I felt something get thrown at me. The kumo kunoichi I warned her about caught a rather nice looking kunai with just her tongue. She then handed it to me, for a second I had the disgusting feeling that it would be covered in spit, gladly that was not the case.

"Nice catch, that's a delayed birthday gift little brother. You know you should make a party next time on your birthday. It would make it a lot easier on me, Mizuki and Kakashi to find you to give your presents you know."

I looked at Anko who was smiling as she finished saying that. Some guys from other villages flat out said that I was lucky to have a big sister like her. Only thing that came to mind is that these guys simply didn't have a clue and were just saying that because of her looks.

I looked at the kunai and realized what it really was, it was a signal kunai that ANBU use in case they need back up. The blade was nice size, grip but a little heavy on one side of the blade.

I saw Sayomi picked the scroll and the three of us walked into the forest. It truly felt like coming home, and for some weird reason the trees seems happy to see me again.

"Sasuke we need to come up with a pass phrase. Any of these idiots can knock one of us out, and pretend they are that person to get our scroll." For once the pink banshee actually had a good idea, I looked at the sky. No it doesn't look like it will rain today.

"When does a ninja strike?" That is the question. The answer is, "When hidden in shadows and opportunity calls." This should help us distinguish a real team member from a fake one.

Sayomi really had a nice idea, and I knew that if any one in our team was not going to remember it was Sakura. After all the answer had nothing to do with either fashion or Sasuke.

"So dope how about you contribute something to our planning and not just stand there like a toad on a log?" I had to remember that the person saying this was the same person that was screaming her head off when she was in bed with me last night.

"I will send shadow clones to scout. Once we find the team with the Earth scroll we can either have them attack them to distract them and we take the scroll or we can simply go and fight them head on. I guess I will leave the decision to you Teme, or else pinkete over there is going to complain."

We have gotten pretty good at acting like we hate each other thanks to mom's training. She often said that a ninja needed acting skills in order to be better at infiltration missions and slipping through people on the streets. As a ninja we must live in the shadow of the world, the place where no normal civilian dares to look.

"As you said we will use your clones to scout our target but don't even think about sending those clones to do our work! We be a laughing stock if we took the coward's route. You find the team with the scroll and then we hit them hard. Failure is not an option."

I understood that she really wanted to pass the exams and much or even more than I did. I guess she finally got tired of hiding her true self or maybe she felt like she needed to come out of hiding to prevent some other girl from taking me away from her. I wonder if she ever found out about my brief meeting with the children of the Kazekage.

My shadow clones went through out the forest and thanks to me knowing many of the languages of the animals in the forest I got a pretty good idea where I could find the team we were after. A spider matriarch told me she saw a scroll like I described on a bunch of Suna ninja.

"Gee, thanks a lot my old friend. It's nice to know you haven't forgotten me. I guess being neighbors for so long left an impression. Say hello to the kids and look at where I was standing. I left you something as thanks."

I stepped off and went towards the meeting point. Just as I was jumping from one tree limb to another a giant snake tried to take a bite out of me. "Hey Scales go get a bird, but leave me alone or you are going to regret it!"

The snake laughed as I said that. _"The bird wouldn't be half as satisfying as you are. Someone seems to have a bone to pick with you, and he sent me to either slow you down or down right eat you. I am leaning towards making a snack out of you!"_

I knew exactly what this serpent was talking about. I looked at her and smiled my coldest and most sinister smile I could. I sent killer intent her way that made drops of water freeze in an instant.

"You could say that I could also use a snack too, and a nice leather gloves. You think you scare me little one, then sorry to tell you, your threat had no effect on me. **Don't mess with a nine tails fox or you will be the one to end up a snack!** "

As we fought each other I slowly worked my way towards the meeting point. She was slowly working my last nerve, but the second she said that she would kill anyone whoever loved me, that is when the kid gloves came off.

I immediately did a series of hand signs and as soon as I finished I began to throw towards her direction one rasengan ball after the next, she screamed in sheer terror as she dodged the rasengan barrage I was sending after her. She dispelled and returned to her own real.

As I made my way I saw Sakura about to be devoured by Manda the chief of the snake clan. I used the flight of the thunder god technique to get between him and Sakura as he was trying to take a bite out of her or simply swallow her whole.

I looked at her with my eyes no longer looking human, if the reflection from her own eyes told me anything. I smiled as I noticed she was truly having a hard time. "You aren't hurt are you, kid? You fraidy cat."

I held the big snake's jaw shut. "Hey, Manda your daughter send her regards, I might have unintentionally scared her into a panic, you might want to check up on her. Me and the old snake summoner got somethings to talk. Don't worry we will be back when you get back."

The large snake looked at me like I was a worm, "Who do you think you are to think that you can talk to me at all!" I told him I was a nine tails fox. This made the snake shake his head and disappeared leaving Orochimaru to fall until he was standing on a nearby tree branch.

From everything Anko told me there was no doubt this supposedly kunoichi was not a woman, and most definitely not from Kumo. This was no one but the traitor of Konoha, the Snake Sennin Orochimaru.

I looked at him and sneered at him, I didn't like one bit the things he did to Anko and I would have to be a cold corpse, or a pile of ashes before I let him do that to my lover!

The seal I removed from Anko was something that would cause nightmares to anyone who knew about seals, well anyone except me that is. He implanted a part of his soul inside the seal, and it was set to trigger if he dies anywhere near her.

The way the disgusting thing worked was the second he died near her, his soul would transfer directly into the one with the seal nearest to him, and thus he could take over the body of his intended victim and thus escape death.

It was clear the seal was meant to weaken the person's soul in preparation for Orochimaru to take over the body. This sick thing was something no self respecting seal master of the Uzumaki clan would even suggest creating.

"You can drop the act, I know exactly who you are. The one and only body snatching, gay, pedophile traitor of Konoha! The snake sennin Orochimaru, so why not drop the disguise already. It's not like there is a squad of ANBU ready to pounce on you to end your life."

He didn't like what I said by the looks of it. "Kukuku, Naruto you are always full of surprises aren't you. You are wrong about two things Naruto I didn't betray Konoha the village betrayed me after they named your daddy Hokage instead of me."

He began to pull off the skin off the Kumo Kunoichi sort of like pulling off a mask. "The second thing you got wrong is that I am not a pedophile." I guess I should at least give him credit for not denying that he was a body snatcher, and gay.

"Now Naruto I have nothing against you, in fact I don't know why you are so hostile towards me. I would think you would enjoy the destruction of the place that brought you nothing but pain and humiliation. Instead you are being very rude and mean to me."

He looked at Sasuke, "In truth I have no intention of harming you or the members of your team. I was merely here to offer Sasuke my help in obtaining his revenge against his brother, I can offer him much better training and power if he would only accept my help."

I smacked my face with my open hand. "Please Orochimaru you wouldn't do anything if it didn't benefit you. I know about that cursed seal of yours, and by the way I also know how to remove it. Anko doesn't have it on her body anymore. So why bother placing it on anyone? The second I can I will remove it."

He looked rather amused by what I said, "If Jiraiya is unable to do it what chance do you have of doing that? Nice bluff Naruto, but what makes you different than my fellow sennin?"

I decided to use my fox form, and I could feel as my skin peeled off and fur began to cover me. I could feel all nine tails growing out of me and I knew I was in full nine tails form.

"It's quite simple for me to do that. I have the knowledge of thousands of years and control forces you and the other ninja in the world can't even dream off. Now I know my dear sister in law Anko wants to be the one to kill you, but nobody said I couldn't rip off a few limbs off to make it easier for her. **Get your dancing shoes clown face, cause it's showtime!** "

I began seeing that my words actually did sink in and he was furious as hell about it. He spent at least half an hour ranting about how I ruined his precious creation and how I wasted years of his life due to the wasted effort. All the while sending one horde of snake after another at me.

Good think I can use my fire to simply send wave after wave of fire at said snakes. If I didn't mind where those snakes came from I would say I had enough roasted snakes to feed Konoha for the next thirty years, but I do know where they come from so I decided to burn them ashes as the still raving Snake Senin ran away for dear life.

"Darn it, that would have been the perfect gift for Anko! You alright Teme, Banshee done feeling sorry for her self yet?"

Sayomi looked at me and then at Sakura who was still in the fetal position. "Actually Dope I think you going furry scared her more than Orochimaru and his snake ever did. How about you turn human, and help me keep her airways cleared before she chokes to death? We don't want to explain that to her mother."


	23. Chapter 23

**This is a Naruto Fan Fiction only.**

As I walked near to where Orochimaru was last standing, I saw something that caught my attention. I was a scroll stuck in the branch higher than the one he was standing on.

I jumped up and caught it. To my surprise the scroll was the scroll we actually needed to complete our current exam task. 'There is only one way for this thing to be here. Orochimaru must have left it for us to find. What is that traitor thinking leaving this thing for us. It's not like him to help anyone.'

Mom was quiet during the entire incident but as I was thinking that she decided to actively tell me her own point of view, ' _It's either that his plans hinge on our team being at the finals or he wants Sayomi or the person he thinks is Sasuke to feel grateful towards him. I don't like it anymore than you son_.'

As we got Sakura to calm down and able to talk again, I wish we had kept her quiet for a lot longer. **"You are the Fox that attacked our village! Why are you alive? The Fourth Hokage died killing you filthy monster! Why must you mock the Fourth's memory by surviving!"**

I didn't like what she screamed right in front of my face, my ears were ringing as soon as she finished screaming. The sad thing is she didn't call me a demon like those idiots in the mobs that used to attack me on my birthdays. If she actually did, I would have had a perfectly legal reason to end her.

Well it's only a matter of time, I was sure she would eventually put her foot in her mouth given enough time.

"Actually that was my mother, and it was you that attacked and killed my siblings! I am the last son of that nine tails fox, the one you call Kiyubi No Yoko. So do me a favor, if you be so kindly. Don't insult my mother, for I haven't insulted yours, and in contrast to you I got plenty of reasons to call her names."

Sayomi secretly agreed with me if the way she was clenching her right first was any indication. "Look you two can have your little lover's spat once we finish this part of the Exams. We are wasting time, and you can argue like an old married couple when I am not around!"

I guess years of pretending to be a boy gave her plenty of practice, but still me and the banshee a couple? I got to say I felt a little hurt by that comment.

I decided to take off ahead of them since that didn't deserve a response, or at the very least not one in public.

As I made it to the building first, I began to look around the place looking for a possible ambush. Sure enough there was a team waiting for us to get here, I guess the idea was if they wait long enough at the finish line they can pick us off since we are so tired from the Exam task.

In part I thought it was a pretty good idea, if a little cowardly. The thing is I was fuming mad from that comment Sayomi said. The very idea that me and the banshee being compared to a married couple made by blood boil.

I guess it was rather unlucky for them. 'I guess I will take my anger out on these guys, good thing we are close to the tower, they are going to need a medic when I am done with them!'

As they saw me, they immediately tried to rush me sending one earth jutsu after another. I evaded them as they were nothing, I began sending fire jutsu around them to coral them, and seeing that the segment of the forest they were was pretty much in flames.

"Look brat! I want that Heaven scroll. Do yourself a favor and give it to me or we will kill you to get it!"

I looked at him and was wondering who was this guy kidding. The level of smoke was getting worse by the moment. If I really wanted to kill them I could have flash baked them the second they sent those jutsu against me. I think I should show them I am not one to be messed with.

I made a flame rasengan appear in both hand, and sure enough they saw that I had every intention of killing them. The kunoichi of the team saw me and she looked at my hand. "The technique of the yellow flash of Konoha! Guys we better surrender or we are going to end up fertilizer for this forest!"

I looked at her and smiled. "Wise idea, too bad I haven't heard a surrender yet. I guess I should say better luck in your next life."

She began getting more frantic by the moment. "Oh, come one Brother nine you would not burn to ashes your little sister now would you? It's me Sister two. Come on we were just kidding. Don't listen to what that idiot said."

I extinguish the flames with a water jutsu and looked at her with a smile. "Well Sis, you should have said it in the first place. Thanks for the entertaining spar. Looks like my team just made it to us."

Sakura looked extra mad and I knew the reason. She just marched where I was and tried to slap me, try being the keyword. The second she tried I evaded and was a few feet away from her. "Sakura you know if I didn't know it was you, I might accidentally kill you, you know."

I walked over to the entrance where Sayomi was leaning against the entrance to the tower pretending to look bored. She really had the whole emo prince act down to an art.

"Two timing Sakura already Dope?" I smiled at her as she said that. I guess she was feeling jealous for some reason. I decided to get my payback for her comment.

"Might as well, that kunoichi from Kumo definitely would be a better girl to date. She has decent combat skills, reflexes, and judgment in combat. Not to mention she definitely has a much more apealing looks than Sakura."

"I would gladly ask her out on a date or several for that matter, if only she wasn't a relative. Darn, I meet a beautiful kunoichi and my mom pretty much tells me I can't date her. This certainly has not been a good day for me. Why do you even care Teme?"

She pretended to still look bored but I knew better. She was secretly happy that I couldn't ask her out on a date. I walked right behind him and I knew from the feeling to the back of my head Sakura was walking behind me.

As we got to the entrance we saw a giant sign that read, 'When Heaven and Earth become One the Way shall be come clear and the Travelers will continue on their journey.'

I of course knew what they were saying but might as well let Sayomi shine or else Sakura might do something stupid, or more stupid than usual. "So Teme, you are into poetry. What exactly do we do with this thing?"

Sayomi took both scrolls and opened them and threw them both so that they land once over the other and as the two landed together the two halves of a summoning seal came into view, the second they laid next to each other the circle was complete and a smoke bomb apparently went off.

The next thing I see is the smiling face of Kakashi giving all of us a thumbs up. "I guess this means you pass to the next phase. Happy to see our team was not killed in the forest, but then again Naruto knows this places well. Anything happened that I should know?"

I decided to give it to him straight, maybe this time they will take my warnings that Orochimaru was in the exams. "I met a person pretending to be a kunoichi of Kumo. It was the Snake Senin, Orochimaru. You need to tell the Hokage that next time I am nice enough to give him a warning, he might want to take my warning seriously."

I really wish I had a camera on days like this, the look on Kakashi's face was priceless. He was so utterly shocked that his headband fell off and he didn't even notice. I mean you have to be pretty distracted for someone not to notice that thing fall off your face you know.

"Anko will be mad as hell when she hears of this. She insisted that she be allowed to follow your team during her phase of the exams. The Hokage said that she wouldn't be allowed, because it might seem like favoritism to the other villages."

I couldn't help but to shake my head as I heard Kakashi say that. "Well it seems he will never change. I guess it should make me feel quite at ease at the same time as frustrated. I guess there is nothing that will change Mr. For the greater good!"

"So I am guessing the other villages are having quite the discussion about why so many people actually passed this phase of the Exams. If I was a betting man I would say they are planing to have a fighting tournament to thin the number of people that can pass."

Kakashi looked at me with a smile. "That is a bet I would take in a second. What is giving you this idea?"

"There are Kumo and Iwa ninja taking the Exams. A fight is part of both Chuunin Exams. I wouldn't put it past our Hokage he accepts to do it to please the Kage of those villages." I knew that the Hokage was one to maintain the peace and he would agree if only not to anger them.

I tried to relax as much as I could, but let's face it there was no place to sit down. We basically had to stand as our Hokage explained to us that the Chuunin Exams were in of themselves a simulated war.

Each village sends their best to the Exams to show each other the skill, talent and combat prowess of the ninja of their village. This in of itself served as a major deterrent to actual war. If a village has plenty of new Chuunin It would mean their training program is top notch, and therefore not one to mess with.

"As it's stands we have to many potential graduates and as such we are holding a preliminary tournament right now, all those that advance in the tournament will fight in the final tournament in one months time."

He looked at us and I could see he understood we were all quite eager to get the Exams over with and be Chuunin of our respective village. "Before anyone jumps up and begins asking why the long wait period. I will explain" He was looking directly at me as he said that.

"The month waiting period is for two reasons, one to train yourselves so that you are at your very best, and two because more than likely you will fight people you trained with for such a long time the training will be a time to develop independently and thus give you an edge against your competition."

He looked at me and the others, seeing that we were actually quiet he decided to continue. "The other reason is that the are guests who will come to observe the final tournament, and the month will give them enough time to get here. The fights will be random and will be displayed on that electric board behind me."

"All those who do not have to fight may obseve the fights from the balcony that surrounds the arena. Even if you do not pass you should feel proud to have made it thus far, and thus your village should feel proud of you."

As the board came on I soon realize that I must have the single worst luck in the world. It turns out the very first fight was me against Kiba. 'Great, not only do I not get a moment to rest, but I have to fight my friend Akamaru. This is so troublesome.'

I looked at Kiba and he was smiling like he won the lottery. 'Great the idiot probably still thinks of me as the dead last of our year. I swear if he starts calling me weak I will give him a beating that will make him rethink his opinion of me.'

The proctor looked like a stray wind would knock him out. He looked like he could barely breath, much less fight. "Alright fighters to the Arena! All those that are not to fight to the balcony. You are to fight until surrender or one yields. Killing is allowed, but I will step in to stop any fights that may lead to lose of life. My judgment is final and those that disobey will be expelled from the Exams immediately."

I walked towards the Arena and smiled at my friend. He nodded his head as a greeting. "We sure lucked out Akamaru, this fight will be a cinch. We get to fight against the weakest, dumbest, and most unskilled ninja of our class. This fight is in the bag!"

I looked at him and decided to get the fight started using something out of Zabuza's own introduction. I instantly started to release killer intent towards him, and I was smiling a very sadistic smile. Trying to emulate Zabuza really paid off.

"Kiba I hope you didn't eat your breakfast, cause I will make you eat those words you just said. By the end of this fight you will see which of us is weaker! One serving of humble pie, a knuckle sandwich, and plenty of blood, tear and sweat provided by you! Believe it!"


	24. Chapter 24

**This is a Naruto Fan Fiction only.**

I looked at Akamaru and he knew that what I was about to do. I immediately bite my thumb and did the summoning jutsu. Nora of the Panther Clan showed up and boy she looked like she had an argument with someone.

" _You called Naruto? If it's for a fight I thank you. My kids and mate have been quite frustrating as of late. I would welcome the chance to blow off a little steam._ "

She might have pearly silver fur, and blue eyes but those eyes looked like someone who was eager to fight. "Actually Nora I called you just for that. Here I was thinking I was bothering my friend's mom. Who knew you needed a chance to blow off some steam?"

We both looked at Kiba who was looking quite bored. "You aren't the only animal clan that can do fang over fang, you know Kiba." He laughed at me, the nerve. I was telling him the truth and he laughed.

"Who are you kidding Naruto? You are the dead last of our class. You shouldn't even be here. You should be picking up garbage at a local park!"

Ok, that does it. No more Mr. Nice Guy for the remainder of this fight. I looked at Nora and she nodded her head. We began to run towards him, and as we picked up speed we leap at him spinning at a much higher speed than his clan was able to do.

He got hit by the technique right in his chest, had it not been for the armor he was wearing he would be picking his guts from the arena floor.

Akamaru looked at me with a look of utter suprise on his face. "I told him, I warned him ahead of time. Panther's can also do the fang over fang and beast transformations but would he listen? No, who would listen to me."

I walked over to Kiba and waited for him to get up. "So Kiba, tell me who is the dead last of our class? Who is weaker? What forgot to speak? Too tired you say. Well why didn't you say so. Let me help you take a nice long nap."

As soon as he was glaring at me I gave him an uppercut punch that sent him a few feet off the ground before he came down crashing back on the floor, hard.

"Proctor you want to call this fight? Or do you really want me to end it by killing him. Cause I got no problem in killing people you know what I mean!"

Almost out of fear he took hold of my arm and raised my hand. **"Winner: Naruto Uzumaki!"**

As soon as he let go of my arm and I thanked Nora for her help. She took off to see what her kids were up to, and I went to the balcony to see the other fights.

Sakura was not happy about something and I just knew that she was going to let me know as soon as I got up on that balcony.

The board turned on again and it was a pair that I seriously wish would never have to fight against each other. The time I spent training with Neji, most of the time was trying as hard as I could to squash two bad traits of his.

The first was his obsession with everything being preordained, the other his hatred of the main branch of his own family. I understand that his father dying like he did would make anyone mad. The problem was that while the head of the Hyuuga clan pretty much declared his death. It was hardly a decision he would take lightly.

It was his own brother after all, and had nothing with making that decision. To blame her was as I call it blaming someone else for the actions of another, in other words the same thing that the village does to me. Neji was using Hinata as a scapegoat.

Here I was looking at the two for the second round and it was Hinata against Neji. I could not help hoping that my training with Neji had a positive effect.

I looked at the two walk unto the arena, and as soon as they were face to face the thing I dreaded happened. "Hinata, you might as well surrender now. Your defeat has already been preordained. You are within my divination circle."

Hinata just stood there and waited for him to charge at him. The second he got near and began using the gentle fist style something happened that caught me by surprise.

She began to use a different style I never seen before. The effect was that each of his punches was deflected in such a way to cause him harm. In other words this style made Neji beat himself with his own strikes.

Just as he was about to be knocked out, he dropped into the stance of the gentle fist but something was wrong it looked completely different. **"Diamond Fist Style: Cut of the thousand diamond shards!"**

She went and hit him all over his body sending him flying into the air after a harsh serious of punches and ended with her slamming her fists against his head pretty much nailing him back down unto the ground.

She was declared the winner, she looked at Neji and with a huff was ready to walk away back to the balcony. She decided to leave him with a final message, "So much for preordained fate. There is no fate other than the one we make for ourselves. Through hard work there are no barriers that we can't get through."

I was shaking my head as I saw that Neji still has a long way to go. I decided to go and meditate for a little while, spending some quality time with mom might do me some good. I also needed to talk about Shizaku and Gaara with mom.

The old racoon dog might be family, but something about Gaara's eye that I found quite disturbing. The black rings around his eyes where not something that you would expect. I got the feeling that it had to do with something related to his sleep, or maybe his lack of sleep.

As soon as I saw my mom's smile I knew she was aware of my suspicions and she shared them. "What can I say Naruto? You make me one proud mother. Yes, I also suspected when I saw his eyes. It's more than likely that Suna didn't have a master on the sealing art. Not many left after the village of our Clan was destroyed after all."

I began shaking my head at the mere notion that this was even considered. "So you mean to tell me the Kazekage is so power hungry that he deprived his son of sleep, just because he didn't bother asking another village for help? Jiraiya of the Sennin could have done a better job I think."

She could not help laugh, "Son you have to realize this would also be an embarrassment of his village, he might have done it also for the safety of the people. You know how much a kid suffers sometimes because your Kage is so focused on the Greater Good."

"Besides that did you get a good look at his sister?" I looked at my mother and couldn't believe what I was hearing.

"Mom, I know you might remember this lady I been sleeping with? You know a Sayomi Uchiha? Now you are asking me if I am interested in another woman? Correctly if I am wrong, but doesn't our kind mate for life?"

She sat down and looked at me with a sad look on her face. "We do mate for life my son, but I am worried that she might want to keep that disguise even after she becomes a Chuunin, and there is the possibility she doesn't pass the Exams."

I smiled at the concerned look mom was showing me. "Don't you worry, you trained her well, and she's got a month to get even better. I am more worried about how I am going to deal with that Diamond Fist Style. If she can use my own strikes against me taijutsu if definitely out of the question."

She began to look like she was thinking about it. She smiled and thought of something useful. "By the looks of it she can deflect attacks directed at her, so how about damage by aiming at her surroundings rather than her directly. As for her strikes they are close range so you could pretty much fight her using long range jutsus."

I knew that was a possibility but all my area effect jutsus were simply designed to kill not to injure. I developed most of them to eliminate groups of enemies. Using the flight of the thunder god was out of the question. If me being raise by mom sent the council wanting my death, if they knew I knew every jutsu that my father knew would definitely demand that they issue my death warrant.

"I just need something no one can copy, or ever learn to do. A technique that is not available for humans to do. Something that will strike fear into the very hearts of my enemies."

Mom just laughed as I said that, she must have found what I said to be very funny. "Kushina used to say the very same thing when we first started living together. Minato was the only one that came even close to creating something only me and my fellow Biju can do. The Rasengan is a cheap knock off of that attack after all."

She got up and placed a hand on my shoulder. "You want a skill that no human can ever learn or copy? You already have it. You know full well how to use the tailed beast ball."

"If you are worried that they will treat you badly, who cares? If they dared call you a demon you know that you can send that idiot to meet the reaper that very moment, and not even the Hokage will hold it against you."

"The Tailed beast ball is not a skill that any mere human can ever learn on their own, and only a jinchuriki that can transform to our full form can even dream of using it. Their hatred of us however makes this pretty much impossible. Even if they did it would be the Biju actually doing the technique through his or her host."

I begin gathering positive and negative chakra in my mouth. I felt like something was bothering me and so I opened my mouth and the ball was floating right outside my opened mouth. A small breath and the ball went out shoot like it was being shot out of a cannon.

Mom saw it go until she made a large mountain right in it's path with earth manipulation. Once the beast ball hit the mountain it blew up until pebbles were the only thing that was on the ground.

"See, nothing to it. You are as so much like me it could also be a little scary to my siblings. Then again as your mother I would be pretty surprised if that was not the case. You really do take after me, son."

I guess that would be useful if Gaara or Shukaku went out of control. Which made me remember something odd. "Say mom isn't the one tailed beast a male beast?" She told me Shukaku was indeed one of her brothers. She then asked my why did I ask?

"Gaara said something odd as he walked up to the platform. He said his mother was hungry, that she needed to drink plenty of blood. That he hoped he could find good blood for his mother. He kept muttering this over and over. It just doesn't make any sense with what you just told me."

She just had to say something that would give me nightmares after I said that. "Well either he is trying to make his host go insane so he can break out, or my brother has something in common with Orochimaru, and no I don't mean the body snatching."

The next fight I was going to do was against the guy named Kankuro. It seems that his intended opponent left the tower for some reason. My guess is that the face paint scared the guy off.

As we started I looked at the guy, "Are we going to fight or are you going to stay in there while I fight your puppet? I am only asking since the proctor seems to be so against killing each other and if that thing goes up in smoke so do you."

This made everyone think I was insane, and Sakura even laughed as I said that. That is until he got out of the pouch that his puppet was carrying around.

He looked rather amused truth be told. "Just so that I know, what gave me away? I thought my puppet was perfect replica of myself. So who did you know my puppet was carrying me in that pouch?"

I looked at him and decided that he was actually serious. "Your puppet was talking without moving his mouth in sync. He looked like the words had to catch up with how his lips moved. There is also the chakra strings coming out of the pouch."

He nodded his head, "So lip sync and you can see the strings. Ok, I guess I didn't expect people in the Leaf village to know about puppetry. Thanks for telling me. I will make a not of it for later."

The fight began, and since I knew he was using a puppet. The only thing I needed to do was to cut off the chakra string, so I began sending wind cutters his way in such a way that he had to jump of the way. This made him unintentionally cause the puppet strings to be cut.

After at least half an hour of this Kankuro finally had to give up. He simply ran out of chakra. "Well that was a good work out Kankuro. Haven't had to use wind jutsu for so long."

I saw him smile and laugh, "Never met a guy who focused solely on the chakra string before, that caught me by surprise. I guess I should say good luck in the Tournament, and believe me you are going to need it."

"Come on let's get off the stage there really only one fight left anyways. My bro against the guy who apparently loves wearing green spandex."


	25. Chapter 25

**This is a Naruto Fan Fiction only.**

Just as we got off the arena I saw the look Gaara had on his face, and I knew somehow that this was going to be a fight that Lee would end up wishing he never had.

He looked like a hungry beast that had not eaten in months. I knew that look very well and I could hear his muttering as I walked past him going towards where Sayomi and Sakura were standing.

The fight was beyond weird for everyone, but me. The gourd Gaara carried was filled with sand and the sand appeared to have a mind of it's own. No matter how Lee tried to attack the sand either defended against it or tried to devour him whole.

The sand acted as if it's only purpose for existing was to protect Gaara. I knew of the technique Lee would often train in, but never use unless it was a life or death situation. The way Gaara was fighting it was clearly a life or death situation.

Just as I was thinking this Guy stood up on the handrail of the balcony and began to act like he lost his mind. **"Lee take it off, Fight with fire of your youth!"**

I for one called this something beyond simply stupid. We saw as Lee began to undo his belt. He began to take off his shoes and gloves. On his weight he had dozens of chakra weight metal strips. He let them all fall on the arena floor, and each time one fell it caused cracks on the arena stone floor.

He then threw his gloves and shoes against a wall and caused a big hole to be made as the things hit it. If mother had not trained my senses I would have never been able to follow Lee's movements at all. 'I bet he looks like he just disappeared.'

The sand could no longer keep up with him and just as he got close enough to him Lee hit him with a technique I knew was called Morning Tiger. It was then that the reason why he never got injured during a mission became clear for all to see.

He had been wearing a coating of his sand all over himself the entire time. Just as the sand crumbled Gaara began to cough up blood and a deep gash was across his face, almost like he was indeed been scratched by a tiger's claw.

" **You bastard! You made me bleed my blood. I will make you pay for that with your life. You shall be the proof of my existence!"**

Just as the sand went after him he opened the first gate, and he got even faster. The whole fighting must have made him thirsty, because he took his canteen and took a large gulp. A few minutes later I got a whiff of what was in that canteen and I didn't like this one bit.

I jumped up right next to Guy and I had to warn the proctor or something would happen he might not live through. **"Proctor if you value your life, get out of there now! He is drinking firewhiskey! Don't walk up here, run for your life!"**

Guy looked at me and nodded his head as he heard me. "Good call, Naruto. Since you are his friend you know how he gets if he drinks anything with alcohol."

I looked at Guy as we both jumped down unto the balcony. "I know how he gets alright, Lee is a master at that style of fighting, and nobody taught it to him. It can't be learned or taught after all."

Sakura flat out demanded what we were talking about. Guy decided to explain, "Lee is a master of the drunken fist style, once he took a drink by mistake and it took three squads of ANBU to finally wear him down. There was nothing in that place that was not broken or crushed. It was just that terrible, but what makes it worse is the more drunk he gets, the stronger he gets."

"That time he had a gulp of beer, now if Naruto is right he took a gulp of firewhiskey. Comparing it to something else beer is a match and firewhiskey is the flames of an active volcano. This will not end pretty, and probably will cause him to be disqualified when he kills his opponent."

I on the other hand know that he had better control of himself than most gave him credit. The fight ended because Gaara went and did something I had not done in years. He tapped into the power of the tailed beast within him. I on the other hand tapped in the power from within myself, as a tailed beast.

I had in the years growing up fully accepted that I was not human, and in fact I always considered my self a tailed beast, much like my mother. I only came to appreciate my human form when I first began to get to know Sayomi.

Before that I considered humans to be the lowest of the low, the worst creatures ever to walk on the earth. In truth my supposed surrogate brothers did influence me to start to consider it.

I had to send killer intent towards Gaara to stop him from killing my friend. I basically made it quite clear if he killed him, no matter how much he wanted to prove his existence, he would pay the price for killing my friend and it would be something he would not survive,

The Hokage looked at the end of the fight and even I knew he was ready to jump down to the arena and stop the fight if the fight would result in Lee's death.

As the ten of us that remain were told to gather on the arena floor. I looked up and saw the smiling faces of Anko, Mizuki, and Kakashi. "Congratulations to those that won their fights, and for those that lost you can try again next year. You will find that in front of you is a box. You will take one slip of paper from that box. This will determine who you will fight next."

I walked last and got number seven, somehow I didn't particularly felt lucky. I was feeling even less lucky when I saw Sayomi had the number 8. The idea of hurting my lover was not exactly a wonderful idea for me, and me taking it easy on her would cause her to break off our relationship.

I guess this is what you would call being stuck between a rock and a hard place. Either way I would suffer emotionally, some pain more than others.

As I feared, the next fight was indeed in a month and against the person I loved no less. 'Why couldn't it be Sakura? I could easily beat her to intensive care and I wouldn't shed a tear.'

'Well son I have to admit she would have it coming, except that it seems that she and Ino knocked each other out, while we were trying to figure a way to deal with Shukaku should he go out of control, and the final fight of the last task.'

Darn it, leave it to Sakura to ruin something that would actually help me out. "Since the other guest will take time to get to the village, from today for one month you will not be given any missions by any of your villages, instead you will spend the month training."

"This is a good chance for you to polish your skills and make a good impression the Kage and more importantly future employers. As a Chuunin you will have much difficult missions, and more important clients. It would be for the best to make a good impression on them."

The Hokage sure loves to give speeches it seems. To me the speech meant something entirely different. To me it meant that he wanted to show off the skills of his ninja to the other Kage, and to try to get even more contracts for the village from potential clients.

It might be a tournament to decided if we become Chuunin, but deep down it was also a pooch and pony show. I didn't need to waste time trying to get tougher so I decided to have a little time of rest and relaxation.

As we walked out I decided to get started on my R&R. I immediately went towards the outside of the village and began to look for stupid bandit groups. I knew that if I was alone the idiots would not miss the chance to attack someone they consider an easy target.

After killing half a dozen bandits, and ran towards the last bunch of bandits I was having a blast. "Boy it sure is nice that there are so many bandits around in the forest. I can't remember the last time I had so much fun!"

That is when one of the bandits decided to say something as he was running away from me. **"How the hell did we end up like this! It was us that was supposed to hold him hostage and ask a ransom from the village. Instead we have this psycho who just loves killing us! The hell, he even says it's fun!"**

I got done with the bandit group and was cleaning my bloody hands on a piece of cloth. I walked over to the cage and several young ladies were inside. I gathered some wind chakra and just cut the lock clean off the cage.

"Ok, people the bandits are done and you are all free to go. Sorry that it took me so long, but I guess time flies when you are having fun." A short red haired woman was the only one to stay behind. She was glaring at me like I had done something to her.

"Would you be so kind to tell me your name?" She was quite strange, instead of going back to her village she was demanding to know my name. Might as well tell her and get her to get going, I didn't want to miss out on the fun of taking down another bandit group.

"My name is Naruto, Naruto Uzumaki. Shouldn't you introduce yourself and more importantly why are you glaring at me like I did something bad?"

She took out a pair of glasses and cleaned them. She placed them on her face and smiled. "Oh because you did something. I can't believe there was another Uzumaki and you didn't come looking for me. I am your cousin for crying out loud and you and your mother just left me on my own. Even after our clan's village was destroyed!"

"You got the same horrible hobby of wiping out bandit groups, just like your mom. I can't believe she never mentioned me to you. I am Karin, Karin Uzumaki. So why the anxious look cousin?"

Here I was thinking I was the last Uzumaki and I just had to rescue a cousin I had no idea she even existed. I really needed to blow off some steam after this.

I decided to be direct and to the point. "I am not doing this just to kill bandits, this is part of my training for the Chuunin Exam Finals. Now I really must hurry along or else these stupid bandits will get wind of this and I will have my prey escape!"

She just adjusted her glasses and smiled. "Oh, I wouldn't worry about that. Now that I am here cousin I can even tell you where the idiots are. I can see them quite clearly you know. But how about while you kill them we catch up? I mean I would love to hear how you been all this time? Must be better than me at least."

I had to admit somehow she could really find the bandits a whole lot faster than me. This made the whole hunt less fun however, how could finding your prey be fun if you are given a map where to find them? I mean this is as fun as fishing when the fish are in a barrel.

It did give me a chance to talk with a cousin I never even knew I had. The weird thing is that I was never told my mother had any human siblings other than mom. It just didn't add up somehow.

She was having a pretty good time listening to my life, and how I ended up the way that I did. She finally decided to tell me something that left me rather speechless.

"Here I was thinking that I was the only Uzumaki that had been having a hard life, but compared to you I think me and Nagato had it pretty easy. Honestly Naruto why haven't you left the village if they treated you so badly?"

That was something I always wondered, but now I was really trying to figure out why. At first it was simple, I didn't escape because doing so would actually prove that the stupid villagers actually beat me.

Then I met Sayomi and it became the possibility that Sayomi would think less of me if I ran away. As the Chuunin Exams happened I finally realized that I should live a happy life regardless of what the village may or may not think of me.

Konoha was the place I was born, and if the stupid villagers didn't like it, then it was their problem. I would live my life how I want to, and they could go ahead and jump off a cliff if they didn't like it!

"I decide how I live my life Karin, I decided to live with the people I consider precious and if the stupid villagers don't like it. I don't care one bit. I will not let people who are so blind dictate how I live my life!"

She smiled and nodded her head in agreement. "Yep, you are definitely right cousin. I figured the same thing. It's nice to see that you don't let others influence how you live, if only Nagato was the same. I guess I will see you around Naruto. Give them hell in that tourney you hear!"

She walked away and I was left wondering if she was really my cousin, or did someone send her to find out what I was doing for my training. The last thing that struck me as odd, but only noticed till she left is that she had the same sent as Kabuto. Could she be a spy for Orochimaru too?


	26. Chapter 26

**This is a Naruto Fan Fiction only.**

Sadly after two weeks I just ran out of bandits. Honestly with these many people coming to see the Exams, I was expecting that bandits would drawn to the village like flies to a manure. In just two lousy weeks I killed every bandit group in a fifty mile radius.

'Kakashi is off training Sayomi, Sakura is off training with a closet pervert, and I ran out of bandits. Just what am I supposed to do for the next two weeks? Sit on my thumb and wait?'

Mom had a better idea on how to spend the time, 'Or you could take a bath, after two solid weeks of combat you might be smelling more than a little ripe if you know what I mean.'

Might as well, got nothing better to do anyways.

As I ran up the walls of the village and jumped from one rooftop to another I saw something that didn't make me happy at all.

There was this white haired man in the male side peeping into the women's side of the bathing area. 'Damn stinking perverts, for his sake Sayomi better not be taking a bath or the stinking pervert better get used to a liquid diet.'

Just as I got there and looked into the women's area, only Sayomi was taking a bath. "Hey, would you mind stop doing that?" The pervert just pushed my hand off his shoulder.

"Listen kid, there is a woman with a very nice rack taking a bath. I need to get her measurements for my next book. So go bother someone else."

That does it, I tried to be nice just because mom asked me but this pervert is going to pay. "Mind telling me who the hell you are, I need to know so I can send your corpse to the right next of kin!"

This made him stop and turned around to glare at me, "You dare ask who I am? **Men envy me, and Women love me all from the East and West. I am Jiraiya the Toad Mountain Sage!** "

I glared at him and began cracking my knuckles. "The soon to be dead pervert you mean. The woman that you were peeping is my lover! I am not going to let this go without at least giving you a decent beating!"

The old fart just laughed as I finished saying that. "You think of me as a mere pervert? I am no pervert! I am a super pervert! You make me push up daisies, you are just a punk, you and what army brat!"

One hand sign later and the area was covered in smoke, he must think I used a smoke grenade to runaway. Too bad for him fifty shadow clones were now standing around the area where I was. "That would be this one."

The idiot pervert kept on laughing, "Fifty or a hundred clones will make no difference what so ever, I think I am going to be the one to tan your behind!"

He rushed towards me until he saw what I plan to use to deal with him. All the clones including myself held a perfect rasengan in one of our hands.

"Why you lousy brat! **You are going to use a technique you stole from my student to beat me! I loved Minato like he was my son. How dare you steal one of his techniques like that! How did you steal it?"**

I couldn't help but to listen to my mom's laughter. "I am the son of Minato Namikaze and I never even heard anything about you! I didn't steal jack! I learned all his techniques. So do you have anything else to say before I send you to your maker?"

He came a little closer to me than I found comfortable and began looking at me up and down. He finally just did something if I was not caught completely by surprise I would kill him for doing. The self proclaimed super pervert hugged me.

"Then you are little Naruto! What luck! I am your godfather. So you are sleeping with that babe with the nice rack. Well I shouldn't be so surprised, they say a boy always wants someone like their mom, and Kushina was one smoking hot mama."

I broke his hold of me, "Next thing you are going to tell me is that you are like that traitor! You two used to sleep together or what?"

He didn't like that comment as much as me calling a pervert. "Let's get one thing straight, I may have been on the same team as him and we might have done more than a few missions together. I can honestly tell you I am not gay, why would I be peeping in the women's side of this place if I was?"

I looked at him and then began to scratch my chin as I thought about it. I looked at him and plainly told him to hide his sexual preference? If he was angry at me calling him gay, now he was mad.

" **I am not like that, at all! If you must know I always been in love with your godmother, but the fact is** she pretty much rejects me every time I tell her how I feel."

I guess being rejected time and time again made him want to do something to get any kind of attention from her, even if it was not the good kind.

"Alright, alright, prevy sage I believe you. You aren't bent like that. I would like to know why are you even in the village? I mean I never saw you once before today. So what are you doing here? Isn't there something that pretty much kept you so busy that you pretty much abandon me to that hell hole they call an orphanage?"

He sat down in the hot spring and looked at me. "Actually it's because of you. There is an old saying, even if the ninja is blind if he throws enough shuriken some are bound to hit. You pretty much proved Orochimaru was here and he wouldn't come for a social visit."

"So my old teacher decided to call me back for added security during the last part of the Exams. I sort of figure that I might help you train, to sort of make it up to you for being missing from your life."

Part of me wanted to tell him to go right ahead and keep pretending I don't exist. I mean what could this guy teach me? The only thing came to mind was to be as perverted as him, and let's face it that is not something I would ever need.

On the other side mom kept telling me to at least give the pervy sage a chance. As long as I remember my moral upbringing he could try till he turned blue, but I will not disregard the morals and ethics that my mother taught me.

"Alright pervy sage, tell me what exactly can you teach me? What possible useful skill could you possibly teach me in two weeks?"

He took out a large scroll and looked mighty proud of it. "I can teach you about summon beasts, and how to summon them. I might even let you sing my Toad Clan contract."

I bite my thumb and with the blood I placed my hand on the ground. A large cloud of smoked appeared, and after it was gone. A particularly stern looking panther showed up.

"As for summoning I am already a summoner of the Panther Clan. Kibou here is one of the toughest warrior of the Panther Clan. So if you plan to teach me that Summon contracts with a clan are very useful and I am supposed to treat them with honor, respect and as my loyal friends. You are a few years late to teach me that."

Kibou looked at him and smelled him. He immediately realized who this was. "Naruto this is your father's teacher. He owes $56,000 to your mother due to a personal loan. Now let me see, that amount time and take into consideration compound interest."

That was when Jiraiya became rather pale, and then she summoned a rather large toad who was smoking a cigarette, he jumped on him and told him to run for dear life or else he was going to end up in poverty.

The next two weeks were pretty much me and Kibou chasing down Jiraiya to get him to pay his debt to mother, I later learned that the entire thing was decided between the two of them long ago, the idea was to get me to train my stamina, agility and speed.

I guess the pervy sage really did something to help me train. I was so focused on trying to catch him and Gamabuta that I completely forgot about the training I was supposed to do. I would never admit it, but it was rather fun.

I guess I tend to focus on my training and getting better as a ninja, that I sometimes forget to relax and take things just for the fun of it. After two weeks of chasing those two I have to admit, I think I could give old bushy brows a run for his money.

As the day of the tournament arrived, I decided to use the armor my mother had made for me. It was a little too much like the one Madara Uchiha supposedly wore, but then again I would need the extra armor, and reinforcements for my final fight.

My first opponent was my worst in several ways, Sayomi was standing across from me in the massive gladiatorial arena floor as thousands of people watched to see our fight start.

I jumped barely evading Sayomi's Chidori and she was caught by surprise seeing me evade her attempts to land a hit. Damn Kakashi he had to teach her this technique. I better evade her or if she lands a hit I would be as fried as if lightning struck me.

As I evade I began to think of a possible counter attack. As I saw the tree nearby I knew a perfect way to stop her dead on her tracks. I decided to use one of the skills they would never expect me to have.

Good thing I never revealed all my skills or techniques.

I slammed my hands against the tree and just as Sayomi thought she was going to hit me, the tree began to grow branches as lot quicker than anyone expected. The tree grew larger and the branches pretty much held her in place. Both hands were bound by the branches and the wood pretty much canceled her ability to use the Chidori.

I held a kunai to her throat and smiled. "I guess you can surrender or I will have to knock you out Teme." She still pretended to be Sasuke to the bitter end.

"Like I an Uchiha Elite would ever consider surrender to a dead last like you dope! Do your worst I can take it!"

I decided to give her a taste of her own medicine and gave her a slight shock that knocked her out. I made the tree return to normal and I carried her to the medical treatment room. If they knew the one that I was giving a piggy back ride was actually a beautiful young woman, and not a guy. Their reactions might be a bit different.

As she pretended to be a guy everyone either called me gay, a deviant, or a thief. Come to think of it I think it was Sakura and Ino who was doing the shouting at me.

I left and I walked up the side of the arena to go towards the rooftop. As I got there I was seeing Gaara's sister fight against my shadow manipulating friend. "I have to say these are the best seats to watch this. Boy Shikamaru is really not holding anything back."

Cat was sitting next to me before I even realize she was there, "This fight could determine his future, of course he is not holding anything back. You are one to talk Naruto. How long are you going to keep it a secret that you could use wood release?"

I smiled at my masked friend and let out a sigh, "I am an Uzumaki which pretty much makes me cousin to the Uchiha, Senju and Hyuuga Clans. It really shouldn't surprise you to see me have the wood release blood trait. Who knows, I might even have the Sharingan and I just never used my eyes."

"Nice perfume Cat, where are the others of your squad? Shouldn't they keep an eye on the guy pretending to be the Kazekage? Even I can tell the guy smells like he sleeps each night in a bed of snakes."

She looked at me and then at the Kazekage, or more importantly the guy pretending to be the Kazekage. 'Darn it, if this was not high noon Shikimaru would have this fight won already. What is worse I can't help.'

"You really think the Kazekage is Orochimaru? I mean you would think the Hokage would notice his old student." That does it, I am not joining ANBU any time soon. It looks like I was right in wanting to join the Hunter Division after all.

"The Hokage let the traitor leave, cause he might change his way. He has complete and utter faith in his village and his students specially. Let's face it, if he was a bit less trusting my life would have been a whole lot better, and we wouldn't be having this conversation."

"The villagers have tried to kill me off for years, had it not been for mom. My life would have been either over, or a living hell. Look up the term spoiled brat and I would not be surprised to find Orochimaru's picture right next to the definition."

"He wanted to be Hokage, which is to be the protector of our village and our people, but the second he was refused he runs away and plans to destroy the very thing he would be in charge of protecting. Like a child throwing a temper tantrum because he or she was denied something he or she wanted."

"Nice move, using a balloon to make a shadow. This is why I am applying to the Hunter Division. If the snake bastard escapes from this place, I plan to one day do what our Hokage won't, kill him."

Cat looked at me and I got the feeling she was a bit sad, "Isn't there a chance for him to redeem himself? Is there no forgiveness in your heart Naruto?"


	27. Chapter 27

**This is a Naruto Fan Fiction only.**

I saw Temari basically cornering him to either give up or end up killing both of them. Shikamaru was anything but a quitter he was definitely not. He got a nasty reputation of being lazy, but even I knew that was just a way to make others relax around him.

He did quit much to my surprise, but if the looks he was giving her were any indication I think that my good friend was a victim of the same thing I was, we both got bitten by the love bug it seems.

Kankuro ended up fighting his brother for the spot in the finals, and wouldn't you know it his sand pretty much crushed his puppet into pieces smaller than a Dango ball.

At long last, my chance to fight against him had come, and he and I were the two finalists of this little tournament. There was a brief stop of the tournament to allow the people in the arena to get some things done. I could only guess it was either a bathroom break or a mad dash to bet on our fight.

I simply walked down the wall till I saw the top box, and with a little effort I threw a special miniature kunai at the back of the chair the supposed Kazekage was seated, just in case he really was who I thought he was.

I walked down the wall till I was in the entrance doorway to the waiting area, Sayomi was there still pretending to be Sasuke, and boy did she look mad. She was glaring at me, but since she often pretended not to care about anything this caught a few people by surprise, mainly Sakura and Ino.

"You are late! Where have you been dope? Trying to lose by default since your opponent will wipe the floor with you?" She must really be angry about something, I will ask her once we are back at my place.

"No, I am not late but thanks for caring Teme. I was actually looking for a cure for your condition, but every Medic, Herbalist, and Fortune Teller told me the same thing, there is no cure for the chronic emo syndrome. Sorry Teme you will just have to live with that illness it seems."

I pretended not to care about the way Sayomi was pretending to glare at me, I still wondered why the bloody hell was she so angry with me? I pretended to have to go to the bathroom, and wouldn't you know it she did too.

My fight would start in about half an hour, I know there are many people watching but an hour long bathroom break? I closed the stall as I got in it, or I would have but Sayomi decided to make it a two-person stall. I was seating on the can and she was on my lap.

"Ok, what is exactly eating you? Why you angry with me?" She dropped her disguise for a second and looked like she had her Sharingan active, or maybe she had been crying quite a bit.

"I saw you and that ANBU getting cozy together on the roof. I couldn't believe that my lover was flat out cheating on me." Wait a second she was seeing me and Cat talking and she jumped to the wrong conclusion?

"For crying out loud, I went up there to get a better view of my friend's fights. Cat just happens to see me and we got decided to chat a little bit. She is one of my best friends. Trust is part of every relationship, and if we are having trust issues now then maybe just maybe I should be the one to rethink our relationship.

She began to really look worried as I told her that, "Look I may have jumped to a conclusion, true, but how can you blame me? I am stuck pretending to be a dude, and I find you chatting with a total knockout, seating together so close. Anyone would be jealous."

I looked at her and she stopped talking, "I am a nine tails fox! You humans might cheat on your lovers and not think about it for a second, but not us! I do not cheat on my mate!"

"Now the question I have is how long are you going to rub against me like that? You know I am going to have a hard time fighting if you do that." She laughed and looked at me.

"Maybe I am just marking my territory, if you manage to beat Gaara I imagine there might be quite a few vixens out there who want to claim you after seeing that. You get this straight, you are mine buster, and I don't share."

I laughed as she said that, "I could say the same thing Sayomi, come on. I got a cousin of mine to beat and you got to keep pretending you are a dude for a little while longer. Let's not forget the Snake pretending to be Kazekage."

She got off me but not before kissing me on my lips. She walked off but not before turning around and smiling, "Don't get too tired lover boy, I want a taste of that thing I was feeling after we get that promotion."

She had to notice that, damn it. Why did she have to say something like that? Now how am I going to concentrate if I keep picturing me and her doing that?

The final fight was going to be me against Gaara of the sand. I walked into the arena and looked at the man pretending to be the Kazekage, I know he will attack it is just a matter of time.

"So you finally decided to show up Brother nine, so nice to see you actually show up on time. Mother and I have been hearing some rumors about your lack of what did these creatures call it? Punctuality?"

I smiled, and I walked towards Gaara. All the while I felt several people stare at me with pure venom in their gaze. "I wouldn't pay much attention to what they say if I was you Brother One, they are notoriously inaccurate when it comes to gossip."

I opened my arms and looked at him with a smile on my face, granted I was pretending, but I was showing quite the smile, "So come on Brother, why don't you give me a nice hug?"

Sure enough, the goard on his back popped it's cork and sand began to pour out of it. The sand came directly at me and I knew he was not going to wait for the start signal to even appear as an idea on the proctor's head.

I managed to evade the attack but the more he attacked, the more of his sand he spread around the arena. I knew this had a major attack in the making written all over it. I did a hand sign and began breathing fire against the sand.

The second my flames touched the sand it immediately melted and turned to glass, this made Gaara rethink his strategy.

The thing that caught me off guard was how much the pretender was actually enjoying our fight, it was almost like he was screaming so that people know he was a fake. It was no major secret that Gaara, Kankuro, and Temari were all his children.

No father, no matter how demented that father may like to see his son treated the way I was treating Gaara, I could almost say he was happy that I was making Gaara look like an absolute fool.

The sand simply didn't stop coming and with more sand, I was pretty much sure I would be skating over a glass floor by the time Gaara or more than likely his tailed beast got the right idea.

There was no more time to fool around, the second I saw the fake pull out a strangely shaped kunai I knew that this was the time I needed to go and take care of him. I simply couldn't leave Gaara to cause damage thinking he was protecting his father.

I had to go full out and thanks to a set of shadow clones I made while jumping around and burning his sand it was an easy matter to get started. One of the clones turned into my nine tails form. This has the intended effect of causing people to leave the stadium as quickly as possible. This would minimize the casualties caught in the battle.

My clone was working hard to get Gaara to wake up, and I, on the other hand, use that Jutsu to travel as quickly as I could to where the Hokage and the traitor were seated. I arrived as soon as the fake Kazekage was ready to stab the Hokage in the back.

I cut off his hand with my sword, he sure wasn't that happy that I did that or so I thought from the look of hate he was giving me. "Now Naruto why would you defend that worthless fool? We both know that he could have kept you safe, but he did nothing to keep you from harm now did he?"

The costume was shed and he was standing in front of us much in the same looking clothes that he appeared in every single bingo book ever printed after he turned traitor. The only difference was that he was wearing passion pink lipstick.

"Now I was only going to harm the old fool, but you and do this to me. You know regrowing an entire part of my body is not going to be pleasant or easy. You are such a naughty, naughty little boy Naruto. I do believe you will need to be punished."

It seems my clone actually managed to get the situation with Gaara has taken care off. Orochimaru approached the Kazekage under the pretense of fixing his son's seal.

My shadow clones managed to knock him flat on the ground and pinned him there long enough to not only repair the damage to the seal but even improve it. This will never happen again, and Gaara will be able to sleep like anyone else.

"So Orochimaru did you plan on using the one-tailed beast to destroy the village too? Wasn't it enough to try and kill your old teacher?" Orochimaru laughed as I said that, he must have found it particularly funny that I said that.

"Actually Naruto I planned to use the one tailed beast to distract the ANBU long enough so that I could kill the Hokage, but now that you mentioned it, you know that doesn't sound like such a bad idea after all. So tragic that you will not get to see that happen."

I looked around and I saw four beams of energy shoot straight into the air. "Damn it, a chakra cage. You really did spend quite a bit of time preparing for this attack didn't you?" Orochimaru smiled and just as he did his cut off hand had been replaced.

"It is so nice for someone to recognize a person's efforts. For you knowing about the cage I gather you read my old books. I wrote theories on the usage of chakra in three books, no one ever considered them useful and so the old fool actually never recognized my hard work."

He touched the light wall that was near him and laughed, "It is as you said a Chakra cage since you know about it, you also must know it's one weakness. Since you been such a well-read student, let me give you a reward. I know someone like you will be able to appreciate this technique as well."

He touched the ground and I could tell chakra being pumped into the ground. He then jumped back and from where he touched two large coffins appeared. The mummified remains of two unfortunate victims were inside the two coffins, I sure didn't like where this was going. It was written on his third book and I never liked that technique for it was a desecration of the dead as far as I was concerned.

"So you did read my three books after all, why don't you smile Naruto? No one has ever seen my resurrection technique and lived to tell about it. Then again considering who I am bringing back to kill you, you might not survive after all."

As soon as he placed two strolls on each of the bandaged mummies the bandages tore into pieces revealing two people both me and the Hokage would never imagine would harm the village, the resurrected people were the first and second Hokage.

"Damn you Orochimaru, you would use my own teacher and his brother to do your dirty work. Did you wonder why I never put your name forward as my successor to be the next Hokage? Here is your answer, your total disregard for human life. A Kage must protect others and you would have only used the village as your test subjects."

I looked at him, and then at the Hokage. "If you think these two will be enough to do us in you are sadly mistaken human! You may try to pretend you are a serpent but to me you nothing more than a lowly worm. Correction, a worm is actually more useful than you are!"

I felt my clothes disappear from my body and I dropped on my hand as my body began to be covered by my fur. "You had to cage me in, you have no idea what kind of beast you caged yourself with. I am generous however, I will tell you **I am a nine tails fox! I am also your doom!** "


	28. Chapter 28

**This is a Naruto Fan Fiction only.**

I gathered chakra of all my elements in my mouth and as I opened it a ball of swirling energy began to be created right in front of my mouth, as soon as the ball was large enough. I simply exhaled and the ball went flying towards the resurrected second Hokage. He must have felt it was nothing to worry about since he didn't even bother dodging or even countering it.

The ball hit him square on the chest and sure enough, his body began to crack and in a matter of seconds, he was gone in a puff of ashes. I looked at the foolish Orochimaru who was just standing there with a look of shock and his mouth open like he saw something he never expected.

"There is no frigging way that was real, it's can't be! The fourth Hokage killed you! How can you be alive? And why are you helping me?" I looked at the old man and smiled at him, he never expected me to help him it seems.

"First off I am not the one that attacked the village, I was born in this village after all. If anything I am the one this village is always attacking in one way or another. As a loyal ninja of the leaf, why wouldn't I help my Hokage? And last but not least I never even met the Fourth Hokage, he was dead before I was even born."

Orochimaru looked like he finally realized the error he made, "Don't just stand there! You fought the nine tails before, kill this thing before it ruins my plans." Boy I know I should not be so surprised that Orochimaru bought that lie, but in truth, the First Hokage was actually good friends with my mom.

It was only due to Madara placing her in a genjutsu that they fought at all. "So tell me child how is Kurama doing these days? I would think your mother is very proud of you." I smiled at him and nodded my head. I told him my mother often spoke of him and the chats she, Mito and him had.

"Well son of my old friend, I am sorry but this fool resurrected me, and thus I am forced to obey him due to the scroll on me. You dealt with my brother, so I imagine you will be able to defend yourself. Give my best wishes to your mother next time you see her."

As soon as he said that he tried to attack me, but I was already gathering chakra while I talked with him, the beast ball hit him dead on and he too burst into a cloud of ashes. I looked at Orochimaru and he looked like he finally understood what I said before. He frantically tried to break through the cage of chakra he foolishly had made.

He kept on banging his fist against it, screaming to some people I could not see to turn it off. The four idiots must have been very focused or very busy to actually do that however. As he pounded his fists against it I leaped and caught both of his arms in my mouth, I ripped them both off at the elbows and spit them down on the floor.

That had to be the single most disgusting thing I ever tasted in my entire life. The taste was so slimy, so utterly disgusting I couldn't even think of swallowing. That was at least a thousand time worse than Sayomi's first attempt at cooking. I better make a mental note and apologize to her about that.

" **MY ARMS! YOU BITE MY ARMS OFF! YOU FILTHY MONSTER!"** I saw the Hokage laughing his head off as he heard his former student screaming like that with tears flowing down his pasty face.

" **I SAID TURN THIS DAMN THING OFF AND LET ME OUT OF HERE! ARE YOU FOUR IDIOTS DEAF? OR ARE YOU SERIOUSLY TRYING TO GET ME KILLED."** I was gathering more chakra in my mouth as another beast ball began to form the cage came undone and he ran away for dear life. He tried many times to get his arms to regenerate but nothing he did was going to work.

In my beast form I could not only bite the physical body but also part of his spiritual one as well. "I don't see why he is complaining about, he always wanted to be a snake. Snakes don't have arms, he should really thank you for helping him be closer to the real thing."

" **SOUND NINJA, RETREAT!"** All the people with the sound symbol on their headbands turned around and began to follow their crying and scared leader. I began to slowly turned towards the Hokage as my body began to grow less hairy and smaller as I breathed out a sigh of relief that this incident had ended.

The real Kazekage was discovered a few miles away from us, he was stuck in a cocoon that nobody could break and he looked like he was in a coma. This left our village with the responsibility of taking care of his three kids, his village and finding a way to heal the man.

As I stood with Shikamaru and the still pretending to be a guy Sayomi, we waited to hear what Hirunzen Sarutobi wanted to tell us. "You three are probably wondering why you have been called here. I am very sad to tell you that from our village only you three have managed to impress enough to be considered for promotion."

"Shikamaru, you're tactical thinking and help to the village was what kept all the kids in the Academy from being killed by the enemy, Sasuke your skills are without one of the best of your clan, and Naruto for your defense of myself and the village I thank you. You three have now been promoted to the rank of Chuunin, and as such you three shall be part of a new team. My own son seems to be interested in leading said team."

I looked at Sayomi who was all smiles as we both reached what all the hidden villages would consider adulthood. "Well, Teme don't you think we should let them in on our little secret or do you actually enjoy pretending to be a dude?"

A large cloud of smoke was released as soon as I said that, "I don't like it and you know it! Boy am I glad that I can stop pretending to be a guy." I saw the lovely figure of my soon to be bride and I couldn't help but to smile as she looked at me.

" **WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS? THE LAST UCHIHA WAS A GIRL ALL ALONG!"** I guess the Hokage's advisers finally realized something that was so plainly obvious. Sayomi simply looked at them with her eyes active and stare them down.

"I am the last of the Uchiha Elite on this village you fools. I always been a girl since the day I was born. My name is Sayomi Uchiha, or should I say that one day I will be Sayomi Uzumaki! Since my ever considerate lover over there is going to be my husband." She was pointing at me and blushing while she did it.

"Well I guess we can finally stop pretending to hate each other's guts. It's nice to be able to see you like you really are. Speaking of which Sayomi do you have anything to take this awful taste from my mouth? I can't seem to get rid of this awful taste, no matter how hard I try."

She walked over to me and wrapped her arm around mine, "Sure thing lover boy, I will take care of that as soon as we get home. Boy am I happy that I no longer have to keep that Jutsu active anymore, pretending to be a guy was a major drain on my chakra reserves."

Shikamaru kept looking at her and then at me with his mouth open. He even looked at her chest and couldn't believe that was hidden behind a henge all along. "Shikamaru I know that you are my friend and all, but if you keep looking at my future wife like that, I might get angry with you. You saw what happened to Orochimaru and I was not even that angry with him, you can imagine what I would do if I really was angry."

That pretty much made the genius faint and drop on the ground unconscious. "You don't need to worry about that, my fox lover, I am one spoken for little vixen and I got only one mate, and that is you."

I heard the Hokage clear his throat or at least pretend to clear it, "Well now that that is taken care off why don't you two join me at Ichiraku's for some ramen. I certainly think this is worthy of a celebration. I mean I can't very well assign you your next mission with your team leader, not present and one of your teammates down like that."

As soon as we three walked out of the office both me and Sayomi saw Sakura and Ino in the waiting area, they were clearly waiting for someone and we both knew exactly who they were waiting for. Sayomi smiled and as we walked holding hands they both looked at us. The look on their faces screamed who the hell was the woman holding my hand?

"Sakura, Ino, sorry to tell you that this is my beloved mate, Sayomi. Sayomi you know these two, your official stalkers. Come on, why are you looking at her like that?"

Sayomi walked over to them and in a puff of smoke, she turned into Sasuke for a brief second and then she turned to her real form. "Like I told you both many times, I was not interested in dating either one of you, now do you get it! I have been a girl all along, and both of you idiots have been asking me out on dates all this time!"

Two more people today had the shock of a lifetime and they much like Ino fell unconscious as they realized why exactly did Sasuke Uchiha always turned them down for so many requests to go out on a date, it was worse for Sakura since she often believed that my supposed lover was imaginary.

We walked to Ichiraku and boy did Sayomi get quite a few stares from quite a few people. I know she said that I shouldn't worry, but for some reason it still made me feel more than a little upset. When one man actually tried to grab her rear that was it, I grabbed the idiot's arm and broke it in three places.

I saw the man crying as with his still intact hand he handed me her purse. "Look man, sorry that I tried to steal her purse, a guy named Danzo paid me a lot of money to get something that had both her DNA and some proof that it belonged to her."

I looked at him and saw that he was not telling any lies. I walked over to him and with a healing Jutsu, I made sure his arm was healed. "If you don't want me to make sure you lose that arm you will go to the Hokage and tell him everything that man told you or let's just say the next time I see you, the beasts of the Forest of Death are going to have you for their next meal."

I walked back to Sayomi and she was looking at me with a smile on her face, "Guess you want to make everyone know that I got an overprotective lover, you know I can take care of myself. I do appreciate it, now come on, I know you want to eat some ramen, I don't let you eat as much as you did but I will make an exception today."

I looked at Sakura and Ino, "I am looking forward to eating a few bowls of it, but I somehow don't think I will be able to eat that much. My love, you have noticed the sour look on your official stalkers' faces now have you?" She did look away from me and noticed the same thing I was.

"So you think those two will cause trouble?" I looked at her and without even waiting a second I pulled her closer and kissed her on her lips, that made the two I mentioned before practically begin grinding their teeth.

I placed my head near her ear, most people thought that I was whispering something romantic, they simply don't understand how practical we are as a couple. "Of course I expect them to cause a big stink, this is Sakura and Ino who we are talking about. I expect them to either make a scene at the ramen stand, or spread a rumor that we are in a gay relationship."

She laughed as I felt her grip on my hand, "Like I care what the infamous gossip network says about us, we know the truth and that is all that matters to me. I would like to see how they explain away the fact that one day I will be pregnant with our kids, and I do mean kids Naruto. I was not joking when I said I wanted to rebuild my clan."

As we reached the stand, I looked at her and smiled, "That also counts for me, I have to rebuild the Uzumaki Clan too you know. But you don't need to worry we will figure this out together dattebayo."


End file.
